Sigyn
by Baby Doll Stiletto
Summary: She is a virtuous and beautiful goddess, whose life is turned upside down by the increasingly destructive antics of the god she loves. I think she gets a bad deal in the comics, and she's not even mentioned in the movies, so this is a story about her relationship with Loki that I hope makes Sigyn alot more complex of a character. Tell me what you think!
1. Chapter 1

"My excitement grows with every passing second as our wedding approaches, my Pet, does yours?"

"I cannot believe there is only a week left before it," she said with a wide smile, trying her best feign enthusiasm "I honestly couldn't be more anxious about it…..In a good way!"

She quickly lied and shook her head at herself as Theoric peered over her balcony ledge at the beautiful garden below where the ceremony would take place. By all accounts she should be honored to marry a man of Theoric's stature in Asgard, and he was handsome and nice enough, but Sigyn's heart was simply not in it. She felt bored to tears in his presence, perhaps because of his annoying habit of asking her questions and not bothering to listen to her answers, and although he tried his best to amuse her she found him dull, average, much like all the other warriors of Asgard. She could read every thought in his mind and feeling in his heart, and so she knew his admiration for her to be sincere, but he lacked passion and a life without passion was one she found hard to resign herself to.

"Sigyn, I know we are betrothed, and there is often little of genuine affection in those types of matches," he said, holding her hand and causing her to question whether_ he_ had just read _her_ mind "but believe me, I do not take our marriage lightly, I recognize that you are a Goddess, and therefore above me, but I promise that I shall cherish you forever, you will want for nothing."

She nodded politely and caught a glimpse of a green wasp crawling towards them on the balcony ledge as Theoric stooped to kiss her hand. She bit her bottom lip and grinned broadly at it, just as Theoric stood up straight and blocked it from her view

"I'm glad you are amused by my boldness and not offended by it."

He embraced her, knocking a little of the wind out of her lungs with the suddenness and force of the gesture. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around him and patted his back.

"Not at all Theoric, I find you to be most proper in all your dealings with me."

"Well, I must leave you now my Pet, for your father and I have things to speak of, but I could not resist the urge to steal a moment with you while I was here."

"Oh, of course, you should go, lest we run the risk of being seen as improper."

"Certainly, Pet. Until next time," she was reluctant to allow him to kiss her, but his intentions to do so were clear. She closed her eyes tightly and pursed her lips in unenthusiastic anticipation "OWWW!"

Sigyn opened her eyes slowly to see Theoric shaking his hand vigorously and moving around, trying desperately to avoid the wasp's stinger. Her eyes narrowed on the insect and she quickly caught it, cupping it between her two hands and holding it there.

"Are you badly hurt Theoric?"

She asked, truly concerned for his well being, knowing what the wasp was capable of.

"No, more annoyed than anything else." He looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face "Does it not sting you?"

"Oh…um" she searched her mind for a believable alternative to the truth "Yes, but, I've cast a spell to make my hands numb to it."

"Impressive, however let the pest go and I shall smash it."

"No!" she protested in a protective tone, then quickly came to her senses " Tis bad luck to harm wasps. I shall release him once you leave."

"Him?"

"Yes, it is male, I am certain of it."

"What a strange one you are my Pet," he remarked, laughing jovially, "but if you insist, I shall leave you and your pesky friend to it."

He bowed and walked from the balcony, through her enormous bedroom with its marble columns and incredibly high ceilings, into the halls of Iwaldi's palace. Sigyn sighed a sigh of relief and released the little green bug, which flew back to the balcony ledge and transformed into the tall, slender, pale frame of the younger prince of Asgard. Loki looked all together pleased with himself as Sigyn collapsed into a fit of laughter on the bench in front of him. He loved her smile and the sound of her laugh, the way her raven hair fell into her face and tossed back as she moved, and the way her smile made her lids squint around her magnetic brown eyes. She looked like a child when she smiled, at least her face did. He was determined not to notice the way her chest heaved in and out as she laid back on the bench to catch her breath, or to notice the way her long flowing gown clung to her body, or to allow his eyes to follow her hands as she smoothed the dress material that had slid up from her stomach back down to her thighs. The effort it took not to notice these things required such concentration from him that he didn't breathe normally again until she sat up and looked at him. Her face was happy as she spoke.

"You ought not to have stung him Loki," she teased "He is my betrothed; he has every right to kiss me."

"On Asgard he has but the rights that I will allow him," he said matter of factly "and to spoil my Sigyn before her wedding day is not something I will abide."

She grinned at him and patted the bench next to her, turning to face him as he sat and setting her legs to straddle the long marble bench so they could see each other face to face.

"And would a kiss truly spoil your Sigyn, my Loki?"

"If I had to watch it."

"But you shall, for you shall be at my wedding and I will surely kiss Theoric there."

"You cannot ask that of me Sigyn."

"I will ask it, I will demand it! You must be there," she suddenly felt very much like a child on the verge of throwing a tantrum, and tried to regain something of her composure "I can't do it without you there, I won't."

"All the more reason for me not to go."

"Loki! You will come, I will hear no more of this nonsense. You are my oldest and dearest friend and you must be there."

"Must? Princes and must do not often mix."

"Save your riddles and doubletalk for those who cannot read your heart and mind."

"You promised," he started, looking genuinely hurt " that you would not use that power on me."

"I said I would try not to. And I don't because I do not need to, I simply know you better than everyone else….What troubles you about my approaching nuptials?"

"What troubles me about your approaching nuptials?" he scoffed as a wicked grin crossed his face "In a word the groom! You are to marry an oaf, a typical Asgardian alpha male with no grace or wit to match that which you possess. You are a rare jewel Sigyn, a true Goddess of the nine realms, and he is unworthy to say the least."

"Oh Loki," she said, beginning to laugh again and clapping her hands "This is pure flattery! You're Jealous!"

"Of course I'm not, don't be absurd! I could have any woman in any of the nine realms," he proclaimed, trying not to meet her amused and accusatory gaze, suddenly very interested in the marble of the bench they sat on "But you…you could make a fine Queen of Asgard someday."

"You know, your right…perhaps I should be marrying Thor."

His head shot up and relief flooded him to realize she was teasing him again. He chuckled and gently pinched her thigh.

"You seem far more eager to marry him in my presence than you did in his."

She could tell he was desperate to steer the conversation away from Thor.

"Eager is not the right word, this is my father's wish and so I cannot refuse it. Yes Theoric is dull and dim, but he is also sweet and genuine. I know what to expect with him…for the most part."

"Sigyn you are a mind reader, do you not know what to expect of everyone?" she pushed his shoulder and rolled her eyes "Do you expect me to believe there is a hidden element to the oaf that we are unaware of?"

"No," she said smiling a little at the sarcasm in his tone "but I fear for my wedding night," she admitted this for the first time as she stood and crossed the balcony to lean on its ledge. She explained herself as she looked out over the garden "There is an element of his mind that is…. unsettling to one like me who has never known a man, that coupled with his complete inability to consider the needs or feelings of others." She turned around in time to see a strange look of disgust and concern on Loki's face "I'm just afraid Loki, I know not what to expect. What if he...hurts me?"

"There is nothing to fear Love," he stood before her, both hands on the ledge on either side of her, she had to look up to meet his eyes, which looked deeply and sincerely into hers "If he harms you in any way, your Loki will remove his innards, tear him limb from limb and scatter him across the universe."

"You would kill him?"

She asked, believing wholeheartedly that he meant every word he said.

"I said nothing about killing him…How would he suffer if he were dead? No Love, he would live through it all, in agony, until I saw fit to bestow merciful death upon him."

She took his face in her hands and kissed his lips quickly and gently before standing on tiptoe to touch her forehead to his. She did this partially out of gratitude, but mostly to soothe the beast she had unintentionally stirred. She could feel the rage coming out of his pale white skin, although to others he would have seemed perfectly fine. As she said, she knew Loki better than anyone else, and as a result it was purely coincidence that she could read minds and discern the true feelings of the heart, for the deep connection they'd shared since childhood gave her the ability to do so naturally in his case.

"Well, lucky for him there will be no need for that."

"Will you tell me if there is?"

"Only if you let me help you scatter the body parts."

He smiled and she kissed him, quickly, again. He opened his eyes and looked at her just in time to see her bathed in the light of the setting sun. Her skin was an exotic shade, brown with a fiery red undertone, her lips were full and naturally a rose red and her hair was long and as deeply black as Loki's own. There was no other woman, Valkyrie, or goddess like her in Asgard, and although she was beautiful, her exotic features made some deem her strange, and all deem her different. She stuck out like a sore thumb among the fair skinned and fair haired Asgardians, just as the slender and pale God of Mischief did. But as there was no denying his handsomeness, no one could deny that Sigyn was among the most beautiful women in the realm. She was virtuous and brave, a free spirit with an independent mind that often clashed with her desire to please her father and live up to her title as Goddess of Loyalty and Bonds . Her Godfather, the Allfather, saw fit to grant her this instead of the title her mother had held, because she displayed the qualities such a deity required, qualities Freya had lost long before her sudden death. She took her deity very seriously, yet she found herself able to relate to and identify with the moody and complicated God of Mischief and Lies. What could be farther from loyalty and bonds, than mischief and lies?

"Do you intend for me to make a cuckold of your betrothed?"

"Absolutely Not!" she declared adamantly, indignation written all over her face "Do you forget who you speak to?"

"If not, then why do you hold me so close to you?"

He smirked as she looked down and noticed her arms wrapped tightly around his body, pressing him against her, leaving no space between them at all.

"I didn't realize it." She released him and pushed him away "You cannot say those things Loki."

"I can say what I wish, I am a god, as well as a prince. "

"Perhaps you should go."

"Perhaps I will."

He moved to make himself disappear, thrown off by Sigyn grabbing his long emerald cape and yanking him to the ground, seating herself on top of him.

"Arrogant, Insufferable, Prick! Sarcastic, Nasty, Rude, Little Worm! A God and A Prince! Really? Well Behave Like It And Perhaps You Won't Have To Announce It To Us, Over and Over Again." She seethed as she poked and pinched every inch of him she could get her hands on, slapping his hands out of the way as he tried to defend himself from her amusing little assault. Eventually he grabbed her arms and crossed them in front of her as he sat up, holding her firmly as she tried to wriggle free "Let Go!"

"Hel no woman! Calm yourself."

She smiled in spite of anger and surprisingly so did he. Anyone else who pulled a stunt like that on him would have to pay for it dearly, but how could he harm Sigyn, especially when she was right. He was too caught up in this thought to see the determined look in her eye and before he could stop it he was bound and gagged and floating towards her bedroom.

"And you shall remain thus until you learn to respect my position and my deity, Prince Loki."

With a simple nod of her head she sent him in the direction of her closet, another nod opened the door, however before he was trapped within it he broke the bonds on his hands and wrists as easily as if they were made of sewing thread, and tore the gag from his mouth. He floated calmly to the ground, and Sigyn tried her best to look innocent as he advanced towards her. Sensing that the look was not working she bolted for her bedroom door, but to no avail, for long before she reached it his magic raised her into the air and allowed her to float the very long distance upwards to her ceiling. She covered her mouth to stifle her scream, for just as she was about to grab a beam and hold on for dear life, she began a fast and terrifying descent towards the stone floor that stopped a split second before impact, his magic slowly sending her right back up to the ceiling, and across the room towards where he stood.

"Loki! Please!" She yelled loudly, she was having a ball up in the air, but he couldn't know that or he would worsen her punishment "Put me down."

"Apologize to your Prince, citizen."

"I am a goddess, and moreover I am right, so I will no-"she fell again and this time could not contain her scream. It sent a pleasant chill through Loki; he could hear the joy in it. She laughed and turned on her back as she floated up once again."I will not apologize to you; you _are_ an arrogant, insufferable, prick.

He grinned a broad and authentic grin as he looked up at the sight of his stubborn friend dangling in midair, but his attention turned to the door as it suddenly burst open. She screamed again and Loki held out his arms to catch her. She landed perfectly within them, and as he cradled her easily she couldn't help noticing how strong he was, for she had fallen far and fast and she was no waif, yet he barely flinched when she hit him. She made the mistake of meeting his gaze; those eyes were always completely hypnotizing. Could there be anyone else or anything else or anywhere else when his eyes were open and looking right into hers? Her smile slowly faded into something more serious, and she suddenly wanted something she was not conscious of wanting before.

But there _were _others in the room; they were the reason she had fallen into his arms.

"What is the Meaning of This?" Iwaldi bellowed in a voice as loud and powerful as the Allfather's himself. Loki tightened his grip on Sigyn's body as they broke their gaze and turned to see Iwaldi, Theoric, and a host of curious maids and servants staring at them with bewildered expressions. Loki and Sigyn stared blankly back at them. "Put her down Loki."

Loki reluctantly led Sigyn's feet to the floor and helped her stand up. Sigyn reclaimed her balance and smoothed her dress while Loki stood next to her and tried to look pleasant, which was a hard trick in Theoric's company.

"Good evening my lord." He smiled and bowed to Iwaldi, out of actual respect "My father sends his well wishes and love."

"Good Evening Father, have you come t-"

"Stop it, both of you." he crossed the room and Sigyn slid her hand into Loki's out of sheer nerves. Theoric witnessed the action and furrowed his brow, almost pouting with dejection. "This sort of child's play is unbecoming of two Asgardians with the titles and pedigrees that you both hold. You Are Not Children Any More…You Have Not Been Children for Quite Some Time. This is unacceptable!"

He heard her sigh and saw her drop her shoulders out of the corner of his eye, he could tell she was ashamed, so he gently squeezed her hand.

"Your Grace is absolutely right, Sir Iwaldi, however if you knew the story behind the scream and the embrace, you would be amused, rather than alarmed."

"Enlighten me Loki," said the aging warrior, adding with a weary sigh "and please, son, no tricks."

"Not at all," he lied, a smile so sweet it could be no less than magical on his face "Sigyn was caught off guard by a rather large bird which nested in her ceiling beam. She narrowly missed it flying into her beautiful hair by jumping into my arms."

"Sigyn?"

"Yes Father, it is true. I've been plagued by all manner of wildlife today, wasps, birds….oafs." Loki nearly choked on the sudden laugh he tried to suppress "But the bird did startle me, as Loki said."

"Who can come between you two when you present such a united front?"

Iwaldi said with a laugh, he loved his daughter more than anything else, and he had a fondness for the young Prince. He saw in Loki the makings of a fine head general of the Asgardian army and had told Odin so many times. While Iwaldi continued to laugh as Loki went into great detail about the size and coloring of the imaginary bird, Theoric sensed his presence being utterly forgotten, and decided to remedy that.

"Be that as it may, sir, it does not explain what _you _were doing alone with the goddess in her bedroom."

The three of them turned to look at Theoric as he came over to join them. The look on Loki's face went from amused to disgust in the blink of an eye, but just as quickly he painted on a sneer that would boil the blood of any enemy. It was the look of someone who had won a battle the opposition hadn't even begun to fight yet. Sigyn looked between the two, and then to her father, who suddenly looked very worried at the fact that she and Loki still held hands.

"Do you question my virtue, Theoric?" she said, letting go of Loki and crossing her arms in front of her "For I assure you I take my title very seriously, and am loyal to the terms of our betrothal."

"Of course Sigyn, the thought never crossed my mind that you w-"

"So then you question _my _virtue," Loki interrupted, "You believe a Prince of Asgard to be capable of corrupting a goddess, taking advantage of a lady, a betrothed woman in the middle of the day in her father's house."

_You are capable of much worse than that you pathetic little runt. You and the fool you call brother are a disgrace to the throne. Your father deserved better in his sons. _

"Theoric, you forget yourself today." Sigyn spoke slowly to keep herself and her anger under control after hearing Theoric's thoughts "Not only have you insulted our prince, you have forgotten to bow to him. How much disrespect do you intend for him to suffer?"

Theoric's eyes widened and met Sigyn's, who raised her eyebrows to signal that she was waiting. He hung his head to hide the red flush of anger and embarrassment that came upon his face. He slowly bent to one knee before the prince.

"Rise," said Loki, wondering what the idiot could have thought to make Sigyn so angry "You still look rather unsettled Theoric, is the sight of me with the goddess so objectionable to you?"

"Of course not your highness," he replied, trying desperately not to speak through clenched teeth "I am simply concerned for the well being of my betrothed." Theoric smiled a small smile at Loki's inability to conceal his dislike for that idea; envy was upon his face now. "Her scream aroused in me a protective feeling."

"Of course it did, as it should Theoric," Loki nodded slowly, regaining his composure and confident demeanor "How _pleased_ you must be to know that_ I_ was not the cause of her screams."

Iwaldi had walked off to send the house staff back to their duties, and Sigyn stood looking at Theoric in disappointment. His mouth hung slightly open at the last words out of Loki's mouth, and Loki looked triumphant as he knew his words had stuck in his brain like a dagger, and would torment the dimwitted oaf for a long time to come. Theoric was well aware of the punishment he would face if he harmed Loki, and that was only if he survived the encounter, for everyone in Asgard knew of the young god's fearsome command of sorcery, which brute force would be no match for, but he was tempted to forget all of this and lunge for the prince's throat.

Then he remembered there was no need. Soon he would be married to Sigyn, and he would have her to himself for all eternity. Loki could make all the snide comments he wanted, but none of it would ever be true. Sigyn would never betray her husband, Sigyn would never fall victim to temptation, not even if the mischievous little man tried to trick her into it. He would have something the prince could never have, but clearly wanted very badly, and this filled him with a joy indescribable. He took Sigyn's hand and kissed it.

"Please forgive me my Pet. I completely forgot myself and my senses in my haste to assure you were in no danger. It shall not happen again."

"I certainly hope not, Theoric." Her look towards him softened as she read the depth of insecurity his heart felt at the thought of being compared to Loki. She hated to imagine their friendship causing anyone pain, and she did believe that Theoric truly cared for her. "I apologize as well; there should not have been a situation for you to question me in the first place."

Loki was stunned at this. The defiant, stubborn, strong willed girl he knew had just admitted she may have been wrong, when in fact she had done nothing wrong. He raised his eyebrows and looked between the two, curiously.

"I apologize to you as well your highness, please know it is the stress of the wedding that makes me so…quarrelsome."

"Of course, no harm done."

"Really?" Theoric asked, put off by the sincerity in Loki's tone. "Perhaps your majesty is a better man than I thought."

Theoric was further surprised and a little afraid by the sight of Loki _laughing. _

"You'd be amazed at how good I can be," he said with a sly grin and a wave of his hand "But your future wife can tell you all about it, she's the only one who truly knows."

By the end of the sentence he was gone, seemingly dissolved into thin air. Theoric was suddenly very relieved indeed that he'd followed his better judgement.


	2. Chapter 2

He was unable to push the sight of Theoric kissing Sigyn's hand out of his mind as he crossed the marble floor of his bedroom and opened his golden wardrobe to dress for dinner. He could not understand why she had suddenly become so willing to appease and make up with the idiotic buffoon, or why she hadn't even had the decency to say goodnight to him. Not that he could stand to entertain the idea, but surely her affection for him was not beginning to wane, surely he was not about to lose his truest friend, surely the only person who understood him, knew him, saw him for who he truly was and still loved him, was not about to be snatched away from him and out of his life.

Loki stood before the doors of the golden wardrobe and looked at himself, remembering the day Sigyn came running into the palace library; her face red and tearstained as she hurled herself into the seat beside him.

"I'm getting married!"

She whined, and although it had been many years since then, her enthusiasm for the proposed match never became anymore pronounced. She grew up and resigned herself to it as a fact; her father had made a promise to Theoric's father to give his son the daughter of his choosing, and Theoric's father made haste in choosing the beautiful one with the dark features who also happened to be Odin's beloved godchild. Iwaldi was bound by his word and a debt of gratitude to oblige the request, although he had hoped to see Sigyn marry for love, since she had the warmth and authenticity to appreciate true and great love. As Loki thought on all this, he gazed at his reflection and wondered. He could at least be honest with himself, couldn't he? He had kept it from her all this time, from everyone, but it was safe to admit here, alone in his room…he loved her. He wanted to be the one marrying Sigyn. And if he had acknowledged this earlier, instead of trying to deny and conceal it, he _would_ be the one marrying her in a week's time; all other arrangements be damned in the face of what Odin's sons desired. His father would have seen to it, and Iwaldi would have happily obliged.

But deep in his heart, Loki also understood that he never truly believed she could feel that way towards him, when the likes of Theoric and Thor would all battle each other to the death for a chance at her hand. However, in the moment they shared when she was in his arms, the way she looked into his eyes, the way she held onto to him, gave him hope there was a chance she felt exactly as he did.

"There you are Brother!" Thor yelled, coming through the door with a broad grin on his face "Mother has been holding dinner until you arrived. Come, for I am _Starved." _

"In a minute Brother," he turned from his reflection and faced Thor, trying to smile "Go start without me."

"What troubles you, Loki?"

The genuine look of concern in his eyes made Loki's spirits lift a bit, though at the same time he was annoyed at the feeling of comfort he felt from his brother's presence. It was the constant conflict of being his younger brother, loving him, admiring him, and yet deeply in the back of his mind, envying Thor as well.

"Tis nothing, Brother, I was with Sigyn and I suppose she wore me out with talk of her wedding."

"Oh yes, it is the social event of the millennium, The Beauty marries The Boar….Now I see what troubles you," he nodded, folding his arms and leaning on Loki's bedpost and flashing a knowing smile "You are lovesick."

"Lovesick?" Loki couldn't help but laugh "And what would you know of it? Being in love with yourself is not quite the same thing."

"Believe me, I know that Brother. I desire the type of bond you share with Lady Sigyn; I have no woman to think of that way."

"You have _many _women."

"As do you, but none of them mean what Sigyn means to you, do they?"

"Not at all, they mean nothing to me. I barely let them catch their breath and redress before I throw them out."

"You are not at all sentimental, are you brother?" Thor commented as he fell into the emerald green silk of Loki's bed and bellowed with laughter so loud it echoed throughout the rather large bedroom. "Still, it is clear you are capable of some affection, at least where Sigyn is concerned. So what shall we do with this Theoric fellow…perhaps a tragic accident in which I summon Mjolnir and he happens to stand in its path?"

Loki was amused by his brother's eagerness to help him, and also grateful for it. For whatever sentimentality he lacked, he was capable of appreciating those few who loved him with no ulterior motives.

"Have you forgotten, Brother Thor, that I am the brains and you are the brawn in our many myriad of adventures."

"This is truth; I believe hunger has made me delusional, I believe myself cleverer than I am."

"Then let us eat, for you with anymore delusions of grandeur is not a sight I wish to see," Thor bellowed with laughter again as Loki helped him stand up and they walked towards the bedroom door "You leave Theoric to me, I'll not have you get your hands dirty in this endeavor. You are Asgard's Golden Prince, and I intend to help you stay that way."

* * *

His brother's words had truly encouraged Loki, and gave him a resolve to stop the wedding by whatever means he could. He spent his time over the next days in his sorcery studies, and warrior training, as he usually did, but always at the front of his mind were the details of the plan he had come up with. He and Sigyn shared a sorcery tutor, Hugo, and would often take their lessons together, competing to outdo each other all the while. In the days before her wedding however, Rona, the strict and elderly Asgardian noblewoman who presided over Sigyn's formal education as a goddess, decided it was far more important for the girl to hone the powers she naturally possessed, rather than waste time with magic, which Rona regarded as a hobby, and a potentially dangerous one at that. So Loki sent her a message to meet him in the palace library at dawn one morning, and he would teach her everything she had missed over the last few days.

She obliged happily, eager to see a face besides Rona's that early in the morning, and to get her mind on something other than a particular shade of white thread for her wedding gowns intricate beading, or how exactly she should stand on the dais with her husband on the '_blessed' _day. She pushed open the massive mahogany door and called to him.

"Loki! I'm here, where are you?"

"Find me."

She rolled her eyes, but could not help smiling.

"I am in no mood for this, I came to learn magic, not play seek and find."

"This is magic, Woman, now find me."

She suddenly felt very cold and very much alone in the room, amongst the seemingly never ending rows of shelves and tables and comfortable reading chairs. Something was off about the way Loki's voice sounded. He was nowhere to be seen, but his voice did not echo, and he did not yell.

"What is this Loki? Show yourself."

"Find me."

"How can I find, what I cannot see?"

"It becomes more and more clear to me," He commented as he slowly began to materialize before her "That in you, my Sigyn, I have found my match."

She beamed at him, both at the compliment and the prospect of learning this new trick.

"You have mastered invisibility!"

"Mastered may be an overstatement, but I did sustain it for many hours yesterday."

"You must show me this. We've been pestering Hugo to teach us this for years, how could you learn it without me," she punched him playfully on his arm "Is it very difficult?"

"It won't be for you."

"You have such confidence in me. But I am worn out with talk of this w-"

"Then let us not speak of it here," he interrupted her by putting a finger to her lips, she licked it with a smile of mischief all her own across her face, he bit his bottom lip and tried desperately not to think, or say, anything improper. "Let's start."

* * *

I know its short, but the next one is much longer, and more eventful! Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

He walked to the end of the aisle they stood in and yelled back to Sigyn.

"You have to clear your mind of everything the first time. It gets easier after that, but the first time is the hardest."

"My mind is clear."

"Close your eyes, and focus on the details of the room, everything you can remember."

That was easy for her, she could see things vividly with her eyes closed, and her memory was very precise. She recalled the ceiling of the room, a vast and intricate landscape view of Valhalla sprawled across it, then the farthest wall, which held books from top to bottom, so high a rolling ladder two stories tall leaned against it. The wall behind her was the entrance to the room, with the enormous and elaborately carved mahogany door she had just entered, and on the opposite side of the room was a wall of three door made of glass, that led out to a many columned terrace, that bordered a beautiful garden full of enchanted flowers and trees of many varieties from all the Nine Realms. Everything in the room had a golden glow because the floor here was designed to always look like the sky at dusk. The room smelled like cakes, pies, and all manner of desserts, a feature Odin had hoped would entice Thor to come into the library more often, and the chairs at the long, mahogany tables were a deep emerald green, Loki's color.

"I have everything I know about the room." She said, her eyes still closed, her face serious with concentration "What now?"

He told her the spell to cast and that she would need to stay very much aware of her surroundings in order to stay invisible in more than one spot.

"That is what I'm working on now: movement." He said, as he circled around the spot she had been standing in the moment before, "I cannot see you at all."

"Good, but," she sighed as she broke her concentration and reappeared "this is enough for today, I am hungry, and Rona will be looking for me at any moment."

"Will you stay and eat with us?"

"Of course."

They made their way from the library, through the halls of the palace and into the family dining room, right off of the kitchen where the staff busily prepared food and brought out dishes to set the table. Odin and Frigga sat at the two ends of the table, Odin with his head bent over a number of rather important looking scrolls, and Frigga sipping a cup of tea as she looked out of the gigantic window at her side. She smiled warmly at Loki and Sigyn as they entered the room.

"How familiar a sight this is, and yet it has been ages since we've all been together…Sigyn you look radiant."

"As do you, your highness."

She bowed deeply to the Queen, who looked amused and lifted her chin so their eyes could meet.

"So formal for one who I regard as the closest thing I have to a daughter. We both do, do we not my King….Odin? Odin!"

He looked up suddenly and met his wife's eyes with a look of confusion, and then he realized Loki and Sigyn's presence and smiled.

"The Goddess has graced me with her presence at breakfast, even though she is undoubtedly busy preparing for her wedding!" Sigyn grinned like a little girl and took to one knee before the King of Asgard. He took her hands and helped her stand up properly. "My Goddaughter must kneel to no one, not even the king."

"Your Goddaughter does not kneel often, only in the presence of those who are truly worthy of it." She remarked, and Odin nodded, very proud indeed of the woman she had become "I am sorry I have not come more often lately, but it seems my time is no longer my own."

"Wait until you are married, my dear," Frigga said, oblivious to the slight flinch the word sent through both Loki and Sigyn as they sat across the table from each other "You will not have a moment of your own again."

"I sincerely hope that is not the case. I do not see myself being devoted only to the upkeep of Theoric's household. I have responsibilities of my own."

"Of course you do dear, and he will most likely allow you to continue with those for the most part, as long as you are able to give an equal amount of energy to your duties as wife."

Odin did not chime in, for he had returned to the matter of studying his papers. Loki sat with his head in his hands on the table and tried to remember what a conversation that wasn't about Sigyn's wedding was like.

"The Bride is here!" Thor bellowed enthusiastically as he entered the room and kneeled beside Sigyn's chair "And a more beautiful bride there never was. Do you agree Brother?"

Loki shrugged and shook his head, his mood worsening with every second, as did his regret at asking Sigyn to stay and eat.

"You're kind Thor. Rise, loving Prince, for that is not a posture that suits you."

As she gently caressed his face, a loud crack echoed through the room, and the large elegant table split length wise in two, shattering all the glassware the servants had set out, scattering Odin's documents all over the floor. Every eye in the room widened in surprise, then fell on Loki, who sat in his chair looking _very _irritated, but also a little surprised himself. He mumbled something under his breath and the table snapped back together, with no evidence that it had ever been broken at all, as everything that had been upon it repaired and floated back into place. Thor took a seat next to his brother, and everyone sat in an uneasy silence for a moment. Sigyn took the opportunity to listen for Loki's heart rhythm, the part of her power that would allow her to know the most basic of his feelings without delving into the secrets he held there or reading his mind. The rhythm was fast and irregular, but it was so vehemently angry that she quickly stopped listening. It almost frightened her, and still intrigued her to no end, tempting her to break her promise and read his mind.

She couldn't imagine what could have so suddenly made him that furious. He had been fine in the library. But she wouldn't have to wonder for long, he would explain it to her after their meal, or she would find out for herself, either way, she would know.

Loki ate his food quickly and mumbled a good day wish to his family before rushing out of the room, down the marble lined hall. Across an inner courtyard, and up a tower was the room he practiced and developed spells in. As he mixed the potion he had promised Hugo he would have done for that day he wondered why he wanted that little imp at all. Why, any man who married her would be sorry for it for all eternity! To flirt with his own brother in front of him was the last straw; her and her betrothed could go to Hel for all he cared.

His back was to the door, so he didn't see her come in. She tiptoed up behind him and slid her arms around his waist, laying her face against his back and sighing. He was startled at first, but the coloring of the arms around him was a dead giveaway, besides, who else but Sigyn would know to look for him in this room.

"You have to learn to control that temper Loki, you frightened us."

"I fixed everything, did I not?"

"Do not be cold, my Loki; I need you now more than ever."

"You _need_ to go finish planning your wedding and leave me to my work."

"Not until you explain to me why you are so upset."

"Because unlike _you_ I have real problems, people don't fall all over themselves with compliments and reverence in my presence, I have to earn those things."

"By the moons and stars of Asgard, Loki, I think you have completely lost your mind!"

"Perhaps I have. Why do you not leave?"

"Because I do not wish to leave, I wish to hold you until you feel better…or until I feel better, whichever happens first."

He let out an exasperated, deep, growl of a sigh and roughly yanked her hands from around his waist. He turned to face her and pushed her away from him.

"Leave."

"Why?" she asked, genuinely worried, preparing to listen to his thoughts for the first time since she met him "What did I do?"

"I do not wish to see you anymore Sigyn."

"Fine, I would not dream of forcing myself on you, but you will tell me why. You owe me an explanation."

"I owe you nothing Woman," he said matching her tone of aggravation and anger "You should remember your place."

"Ha! Do you mean to suggest that I am _beneath _you?"

"I mean that exactly."

"Well since when has that been an excuse for you to cast a woman out of your presence?"

"I kept a very particular kind of company with those women," he said, grabbing her wrist and yanking her towards him "now, unless you want me to use you in that way…"

She tried to snatch her arm away from him, but he held her tightly, so tightly her wrist felt the very unfamiliar sensation of pain. She looked into his face and searched it, trying desperately to understand what was wrong with him. What had happened between breakfast and now to make him so incredibly hateful towards her? She thought of everything, and suddenly realized it.

"Tell Me This Is Not About Thor!"

"Of course not." He let go of her arm and pushed her back so hard she stumbled, stopping her fall by grabbing the back of a chair. "Are you so vain and spoiled that you simply cannot fathom that someone would tire of your companionship? You are soon to be married, Woman, grow up."

She had been angry before, but his words cut through that like a sword and exposed her to a sadness she had not felt in years. She didn't cry or make a scene, but Loki saw some of the light go out of her eyes as she took in his last comment. He hadn't lied, it was not about Thor at all, it was the comment Frigga had made that sent Loki into a spin, and the fact that he was actually nervous about executing his plan to stop the wedding, not at all afraid of anything except the possibility that Sigyn would be no more willing to marry him than she was to marry Theoric. As she turned to leave he began to regret his words, and all the more as he realized she still had not broken her word and used her power of discernment on him.

_If she leaves like this, you will lose her forever, she will hate you._

He grabbed her arm forcefully again and spun her around; interrupting her half hearted protest with a kiss unlike anything they had ever shared before. Sigyn stood rigid in his arms for a moment, out of shock and inexperience, and as their tongues intertwined she whimpered and relaxed, allowing her hands to wander from his arms to his back, to his shoulders, to his neck. The kiss was totally controlled by Loki, who kept it calm yet passionate, barely allowing her to breathe until he felt he had to, and then only long enough for her to inhale once. He bit her bottom lip playfully and pulled away, but she was so caught up in the act it took her a moment to notice it was over. When she did realize it she bit her lip herself and looked puzzled before she grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him towards her again. She wanted more of the same without a doubt, something was happening to her that had not happened before, and it made her forget all propriety and reason and betrothals and Theoric. All she thought of was Loki's kiss, his lips, his hands, his body, which was suddenly so very far away from her while draped in all those clothes. He kissed her until she moaned, and then he forced himself to stop while he still could. She moved to bring his lips to hers again, but this time he smiled that wicked smile and stopped her, grabbing her hands and placing them behind her back. It was harder than she could ever know for him to do, her lips were even more red now than usual, and her eyes were bright again, though a bit hazy with desire as she looked up at him, innocent and seductive all at once.

"I love you. And I'm very sorry; I _honestly _do not know why I said those things."

"Do not say honestly Loki, you are not honest." She smiled a little, and maintained her gaze up at him "All is forgiven. Kiss me again."

"No. I do not want you spoiled before your wedding day."

"Too late, and besides how can I marry him if you love me? I shall marry you."

"Would you?"

"I never wanted anything else. You are my favorite thing in all the Nine Realms. Kiss me again." She demanded, standing on tiptoe in an effort to catch him, still he dodged her again "Loki!"

"Compose yourself Woman." The pout on her face made him smile, he was very happy to know she wanted him, relief flooded him."Rona will be calling for you at any minute. You must go."

"I told you I will not marry him. I do not love him; I love you and no one else."

"I know that, but the decision is not yours, is it?"

And suddenly it all came back to her, the promise Iwaldi had made, the obligation she had to her family name to fulfill his promise, the many ways she had just violated the expectations upon her as the guardian of loyalty and bonds. She stood here ready to forsake all of that for what she believed to be love, but could very easily have been lust, which made her fear that she was truly her mother's daughter. What mattered when she and Loki were together was all together different than what mattered when they were apart, their relationship could be simple and sweet, complicated only by the will of others and the foolish tendencies of their youth. However those complications made Sigyn believe that what she felt must be wrong. Loki loosened his grip on her arms and she let them fall to her side.

"I think I have always lived and behaved in an effort to be yours Loki, without realizing it. Even when we were small I wanted you to like me better than anyone else." She explained these things as she sat on the chair she had leaned on earlier "I have no idea why. You were just so unlike anything or anyone I had ever known. You were exceptional. Everything you did, everything you touched, was extraordinary, and being a prince had nothing to do with it, for I had met every prince our age by then and was taken with none of them. Only you. And now it seems the only way for me to have what I have always wanted is for me to betray everything I hold dear….I must say, this makes me look upon my mother's memory with a more sympathetic eye."

"I think your mother was quite the opposite of you."

"She was, she married twice, and that is not an option for me. I shall marry once, and for all eternity." She had a bitter look on her face "And it would appear that Theoric shall be the one at the altar with me."

"Yes, it would appear so…"

He spoke softly, but she did not hear him as she was deeply in thought as she stared out of the small window in the stone wall, focusing on nothing in particular.

"I wish we could erase the morning. Stubborn Hugo, he should have taught us the way to undo time, or at least a forgetting potion… This was far easier when I could pretend that we were childhood companions and nothing more. Now I cannot bear the thought of not having you."

"I'm yours, you will always have me."

"That is not exactly what I meant." Her eyes were still fixed on the sky outside the window, and so she did not notice the surprised look Loki shot in her direction "Besides, Theoric will tolerate very little of our relationship, and I must seem to oblige him for the most part."

"You will have your happiness Sigyn, you will have everything you want, and you will be happy."

"But I do not want him, I never did, you know that."

"You must follow through with your betrothal; all will work out in the end. I swear to you."

"Even you cannot promise me that. But you are very sweet….Sometimes" She stood up and held his face in her hands "You are so bizarre. Your moodiness will be the end of me."

She had resolved herself once again to life as Theoric's wife, and made her peace with it. It was not the end of anything, but the beginning, and yes she had to make a sacrifice and settle, but she had not had to do that nearly as much as Loki had in his life, and so she was better able to reason with it. She bottled the urge to kiss him again, even a small kiss, instead opting to hold his hand for a moment and walk out of the room.

Down the winding stair of the tower column, out onto the sprawling green lawn and out of the bronze gate that led to the tree lined path that would lead her home. She walked slowly, trying desperately to forget what had happened, and very grateful that she was the only one she knew who could read minds. Her thoughts could not wonder, for they would wander after her heart and directly to Loki, to things no maiden should think of, and certainly not on the eve of their wedding, about a man other than their betrothed. She made her way to the inner courtyard on the far side of Iwaldi's palace, and heard her sisters' voices as she approached. She recognized Syn's calm and quiet tone.

"The wedding is tomorrow, and then our dear little Sigyn will be leaving us forever."

"She won't be so little anymore, not after Theoric is done. He shall ravage her," Lofn stated, her voice rasping and her tone suggestive. "And I say good for her. The little virgin deserves it for being such a good girl for so long."

"Lofn you are as inappropriate as ever. Sigyn is a sweet heart; I fear for her, she must be a nervous wreck."

"There is no need to be, all she has to do is lay down. Theoric doesn't strike me as the type to expect much participation from his partner."

"Stop it Lofn! I shall cry in a minute." Syn stood up and crossed to a nearby tree to gather herself "How could father promise little Sigyn to such a low fellow."

"He's not low, he simply lacks passion….Unlike our favorite God of Mischeif."

"Lofn, shut up."

"I know her maids told you, for they made no haste in telling me."

"Father was there, if anything had happened we would have heard him yelling about it even if we were on Midgard."

"Well, I can attest to Loki's passions firsthand, and I would say our Sigyn would be far happier in his hands…but oh well, with her out of the way maybe he'll look upon me with more favor. We look alike."

"You and who?"

"Me and Sigyn."

Syn laughed loudly, a look of bewilderment in her eyes.

"Beg pardon? Sigyn is radiant and unusual. You, Lofn, are often hard to weed out of a crowd. We used to tie your wrist to one of ours for fear you'd wander off and we would never know."

"Are you calling me common?"

"As common as a blade of green grass."

It was Sigyn's turn to laugh out loud as she entered the garden, hugging Syn tightly as soon as she reached her. She let go of her favorite sister, and turned to Lofn, who sat with a smug look on her face on the grass in front of them, twirling her blonde hair around her finger.

"Lofn, you are so uncouth at times, _crude_ even."

"I am not at all, but you must understand Sigyn, that we cannot all be as virtuous as you."

"Where have you been all morning my little one?"

Syn asked, gently stroking her sister's hair.

"I had breakfast with the Odinsonns."

"Of course you did. "

Lofn could not hide her annoyed tone. She was full of spite towards Sigyn, she had made a whore of herself, and had earned a reputation as such, and so she resented the virtue and self control Sigyn had exercised. Not to mention the fact that she was beloved by both Thor and Loki, and every other man worth looking at in Asgard. How many times had she heard that surprised gasp when the men found out they were sisters, how often had she had to settle for a night with a man who had come with intentions of calling on Sigyn. And to add insult to injury, it was her younger sister! Lofn had been absolutely passed over her entire life, and she could not help but wonder if it was because she was the offspring of one of Freya's most notorious indiscretions.

"I have neither the time nor the patience to begin an argument with you Lofn. This is our last full day together under one roof, perhaps we could put our differences aside and manage to get along until it is over."

"I will if you will. But I fear it will be a very long day either way, since we will spend much of it in gown fittings, and rehearsal…with Rona," she added with a heavy roll of her eyes at the mention of the name "Rona is one aspect of Goddess-ship that I do not envy you Sigyn."

"She is wise and well-meaning, if a bit overbearing. I suppose she simply understands the seriousness of the title I hold."

"That is you giving me more credit than I thought you capable of," Rona said, in her elegantly stern tone as she crossed over to them from the terrace that led from inside the palace. "Your dalliance with the Odinsonns this morning has caused us to lose precious time, on this day that was too short to begin with for all we must accomplish in it. Move with haste girls, for the hour of the blessed event quickly approaches."


	4. Chapter 4

If the beer hall was loud and rambunctious on a regular day, today it was downright debauched. The wedding of the Goddess Sigyn to a celebrated warrior of Asgard was the ideal opportunity for the Warriors Three to call for a festive gathering to wish their respectable brother in arms the most heartfelt of congratulations.

"Talk about marrying out of your league!" Fandral clapped Theoric on the back and laughed loudly with all those around him "To the father of Theoric, whose bravery and luck are the only reason we are able to enjoy such festivities today! Had he not saved the life of the honorable and valiant Sir Iwaldi, you men would not be on your way to being more drunk than you have ever been in your entire existence!"

"HERE HERE!"

The shout echoed through the entire hall, which was packed to bursting with warriors and the morally loose lowborn women of Asgard who threw themselves at them. Theoric smiled broadly, sitting on a makeshift throne upon the bar, shaking hands with the men as they passed, the Warriors Three standing proudly behind him. A loud growl rumbled out of Volstagg's stomach, just as a beautiful blonde in a low-cut dress caught Fandral's eye and beckoned to him. They both made promises to return with haste, and then hurried after their respective weaknesses. Hogun stood in the same place, a look of annoyance and revulsion on his face as he scanned the room, while Theoric rose from his chair and leaped from the bar, which drew another cheer from the crowd. A young blonde stopped the bridegroom and kissed him, a sloppy wet kiss that made Theoric long for Sigyn to be so bold. The girl reached into his leather pants and grabbed him roughly, then eased her grip and gently caressed his manhood. Fidelity meant nothing to him, and he would have long lost his mind had he tried to wait for Sigyn to break, she was positively frigid at times. He wondered if she even liked him at times, but he pushed the thought out of his mind as he grabbed the girl by the neck and drug her to the nearest wall. She grinned, although as the hand on her throat began to constrict her breathing, her coquettish smile and her confidence slowly began to fade. The force with which he threw her into the wall frightened her. He kissed her again in the crowded and dimly lit room, her eyes widened, for he stuck his tongue so deeply into her mouth she nearly choked. His rough and clumsy hand undid the laces on her shirt and quickly pulled the two sides apart, exposing her small and perky breasts. Had he taken the time to really look at her, he would have realized how young the girl was, how all her courage and brazenness of the moment before was gone, and all she wanted to do now was leave. But he did not wish to see any of this, instead grabbing her breasts, pinching, smashing and rubbing them aggressively, causing the young woman pain and ignoring her demands for him to stop. He was unable to consider that she was not enjoying herself, for he was under no impression that a woman was meant to enjoy sex. Sex was about the man's enjoyment, women were meant to show disdain for it, and these women, who pursued it rather than their proper pursuit of a marriage and a family, were unnatural and frowned upon, and therefore warranted no sympathy from Theoric. The room was as full of women in varying states of undress performing sexual acts on their "heroes" as it was of food and beer, and so no one noticed as Theoric dropped his pants and lifted the skirts of the young woman, who deeply regretted her bold actions which had led her here. She lamented ever catching his attention and stood still as he forced her legs apart by kicking her feet. She became frantic as he fumbled to insert himself into her. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain she was sure would come, peeking them open after a few moments of his heavy breathing and thrusting passed. She felt nothing, she supposed he was inside of her, but thankfully he was not well endowed by any stretch of the imagination, and it seemed he lacked any skill at pleasing a woman. His brand of lovemaking even in this spontaneous act was stale and unenthusiastic. But the young woman was in no mood to give suggestions, and she considered herself lucky when Theoric let out a high pitched yelp like moan and pushed the palm of his hand so forcefully into her face that her head smacked against the wall. She ignored the knot she felt form there, grateful the ordeal was over almost as quickly as it started. As he stood to catch his breath against the wall he had pinned her to, she ran away as quickly as she could, not even bothering to fix her blouse as she went.

"There I stood, surrounded by 17 of the largest warriors Hela could conjure AND a behemoth. Completely separated from my fellow warriors, no help in sight… By Thor's thunderbolt I tell you no lies! I shook in my very boots, aye, but I never let _them_ see it!" Volstagg exaggerated from one of the long tables covered in food nearby to where Theoric stood. The men and women were captivated by his tall tale, and he added hand gestures and long pauses to make it even more suspenseful "BUT, I am the one who broke the neck of a frost giant with nothing more than these two instruments of Odin's wrath you see currently wrapped around this succulent leg of bird beast, and so I wiped the ground with those unkempt untrained louts, and had my fun doing it too."

"I was at_ that_ battle, you old lying fool. Lady Sif was the one who broke the frost giant's neck, and as I recall, saved your miserable life in the process."

Everyone in earshot burst into laughter, as Volstagg fumbled for a reply to the young warrior who had so rudely told the truth. As Theoric turned his attention back to the women in the bar he thought he felt a cold change in the temperature, though it was a welcome brief moment of relief from the stifling heat of the hall, he did wonder where it had come from. But it was no matter, for his lusts had returned, and so he grabbed the arm of the woman nearest him and forced her to her knees. She was older than the previous girl, and much less inhibited. He had to do nothing but lean back as she pulled his pants down some and placed her hands on his hips, taking the entirety of his member into her mouth easily and trying not to be amused by how small it was. He held her head pressed against his body, and once again disregarded his concubine's need to breathe. She knew better than to try to pull away, and made her efforts more aggressive in the hopes he would finish with her quickly.

Standing completely unseen on the bar a few feet away Loki had watched both encounters with absolute disdain, knowing he would have to leave soon before rage broke his concentration. He had thought the noble born women who threw themselves at him and Thor were contemptible, but these were without doubt whores, and at the same time something far worse. This was positively _slumming_, cavorting with the absolute lowest of citizens of Asgard. These women were desperate, less interesting and of less consequence than the mortals of Midgard, and yet this unbelievable bastard would go from forcing himself upon them to marrying the most beautiful and demure woman in Asgard in just a matter of hours. He laughed at the absurdity of it all, his eyes narrowing as Theoric released the woman and yanked her back to her feet. Loki realized that he was actually trying to help her up, that he did not mean to harm these women or make them uncomfortable, he merely had no idea how to be gentle. Loki was not romantic with his conquests, but at least he did put some effort into not harming them during the encounter, and he did want them to enjoy themselves.

And then his thought turned to the worries Sigyn expressed to him that day on her balcony, and suddenly he truly understood her fears; she had seen him behave this way, she had read his memories and they had unsettled her. If Loki had been determined before, he was positively resolved now; there could be no other way about it. With his drunken, albeit lackluster, indiscretions in this hall the lecherous idiot had just sealed his own fate. Loki shook his head slowly and gladly transported himself from the bar to the inside of Theoric's room in his father's house in the woods of Asgard near the mountains.

_Does he expect Sigyn to live here?_

He thought, a look of disapproval and bewilderment on his face at the sight and smell of the room. Not that she was vain or materialistic, but she was used to living in a palace, one that closely rivaled the one the Allfather himself lived in. And now this fool expected her to live in this two story shack, a glorified farmhouse. There was a fireplace in the corner of Theoric's room, and a modest bed with white cotton sheets and no blanket.

_Sigyn would freeze to death in her sleep, and the oaf would not think to light a fire, or cover her…_

Loki thought before realizing that he was thinking of his woman in bed with another man and abandoning that line of thinking. He walked to the window and looked out on the grounds, Theoric's horse grazed on the patch of grass they called a lawn, surrounded by a wooden fence and bordered on one side by the trees of the forest.

_Get home soon, idiot, I do not have all night._

* * *

Sif stood on the dais next to her friend and fidgeted with the long royal blue gown she wore. Women could say what they wanted, battle armor was far more comfortable than this, in her opinion. Sigyn noted her friends discomfort and gave her an apologetic smile. Rona had been drilling them for hours about posture and decorum, and had no intention of releasing them from the spot until she was satisfied.

"Sigyn why you chose this color for a daylight wedding is beyond me."

"This shade of blue is _my _color maam, bestowed upon me by the Allfather for its regality."

"Oh, I see. Well then you have chosen well. Stop slouching Lofn!"

"Do not speak to me thus, you are not my mother, nor are you my mentor, you have n-"

Sigyn shot her a pleading look and she stopped, remembering her promise. She had to admit her sister looked beautiful in her gown, and she could not admit that the palace would be much emptier without her presence there. The sound of her laughter was frequently rebounded off the walls and through the halls of their home, making everyone within it smile and chuckle a bit themselves. She could not help feeling a twinge of love for the bright younger sister she had so envied.

"Do not goad my sister Rona. You know her irritability is high on this day."

"_Every _day, but it is of little consequence really, no one will be looking at her tomorrow." She paused just long enough to see her words deflate a little of Lofn's ego. "Lady Sif, tell me you do not intend to wear that sword to the ceremony."

Sigyn hung her head in exasperation as she took a seat on one of the chairs that had been set up for the wedding. A servant boy came hurrying out of the palace and over to where she sat, amusing her as he dutifully took to one knee and held out a small package to her.

"This just arrived from the palace for you, Most Esteemed Goddess of The Realm."

Sigyn laughed at the formality, it was rare anyone addressed her as such, although it was the absolutely proper way to do so.

"Rise, valiant and noble citizen." The boy beamed at her and stood, bowing from the waist before turning to take his leave, stunned by the kiss she placed upon his cheek "You will make a fine warrior someday."

"Oh I do not hope to be a warrior Goddess, I wish to be a teacher of men that they might be sharp witted in addition to well armed."

"Well said indeed! What is your name?"

"Justus, Goddess."

"Justus, you shall be taught by my tutors, and you shall study in the library of Odin's palace, the very library Prince Thor and Prince Loki use. I will have my teacher, Hugo, collect you first thing the day after tomorrow, and you shall begin your lessons then. Do your parents work in the palace?" the boy nodded, too much in shock to speak "You shall take them this letter; it reads what I have just said."

A letter with her family seal appeared in her hand out of thin air, and Justus looked upon her with an even deeper admiration than before.

"T-t-thank you, most esteemed, most beautiful, majesty….Goddess of the Realms."

The child was visibly and audibly flustered by her generosity as he ran off, back into the castle to find his parents. The other women in the garden had noticed nothing; they were too busy trying to adhere to Rona's strict demands upon their stances. Sigyn turned her attention to the package, which was thin and wrapped in simple parchment, and had no writing on it except '_Open Now'_. She recognized the handwriting and smiled a very small smile, for as happy as it made her to think of Loki, it also put a heaviness in her heart. Beneath the parchment was a box of black silk, a small card attached to it.

_You and I __will__ be together always. Never doubt that. Our feelings are very proper and will last through eternity. Never absent, never broken, never waning. The thought of losing you sent my mind into a whirl today, this is my apology. _

_Love,_

_Loki._

She tucked the card into the bosom of her gown for safekeeping, quickly before Rona could see the act. Then she opened the box and gasped. There laid a necklace on a long golden chain, its pendant a medium sized solitary stone that appeared to be half emerald and half sapphire. It glittered even in the moonlight, as Sigyn held the princess cut gem in her hand, fascinated by its oddity and perfection.

"Opening your gifts without your groom," said Sif, a look of pretend reproach on her face as she took the seat beside her friend and took the necklace from her "That's nice. One Hel of a nice stone."

"Sif, don't be crass," she said laughing "It is beautiful is it not? _Loki_ gave it to me."

"Oh really," Sif rolled her eyes at the mention of the younger prince, who she never got along with. He could have been a fine warrior, not that he was inept at battle, but he would rather fight with magic than weapons, and that she could not understand "Did Loki give it to you, or did _Loki _give it to you?"

"Oh….did I really say it like that?"

"No, you said it much more sweetly and tenderly, and, dare I say, lovingly."

"Sif…I do love him."

"Well do not. Stop yourself from it, take this damned thing and throw it off the Bifrost, who knows what he has done to it. Loki is not trustworthy, he is not good, and he is dangerous. Marry Theoric and be happy, be safe!"

"And bored, and loveless."

"You will learn to love him."

"I suppose I must…but forgive me if I keep my gift." She said taking it and putting it around her neck "You look lovely in your dress Sif."

"I would only wear it for you darling... do not seek to change the subject. Put Loki out of your mind, and more importantly your heart. He is-"

"I know, I know Sif, I heard you," she said, exasperated at her friends insistence against her Loki "There is no need to prate on about it, but don't you think you ought to look more favorably on him, since he is Thor's brother."

"It is not written in stone that I will marry Thor."

"Yet it is a strong possibility, and then Loki will be your brother. He is very misunderstood Sif, he is capable of –"

"_Anything_ Sigyn. He will do or say anything to get what he wants. I know Loki often means well, but he is sneaky and ruthless, and should he ever decide to use that against us then…"

"Ragnarok."

Sigyn said matter of factly. She was under no impression that Loki was a saint; she loved him in spite of his shortcomings, because she saw his desire to rebel against them. The darkness that bubbled underneath the surface of his being was one of the things that attracted her most. He needed love to fight those urges, for without it he would have nothing to lose.

"So you do understand, but will you listen?"

"I'm marrying Theoric, what more do you want?"

"That is enough to satisfy me," she said, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her back to the dais "You will see Sigyn, by the end of tomorrow you will be married to exactly the right man for you."

* * *

She awoke the next morning before anyone else, even before the day showed its first rays of light. She sat up in her bed and thought of these, her last moments as Iwaldi's daughter in Iwaldi's palace. She hopped out of bed quickly, pulling on her royal blue robe and running barefoot out of her room, down hall after hall until she reached the large white door she was looking for. She held her hand on the knob for a moment, hesitating about whether she wanted to go in or not. Her desire to see her mother was rare, but when it came over her it had to be appeased. She opened the door and breathed a sigh of relief. There she was, her face looked down upon her daughter from all over the room, paintings and statues of tribute to the fallen goddess.

Freya was a beautiful woman, fiercely independent and strong, much like Sigyn. But she was also selfish, self absorbed and greedy. She broke the heart of Odin's brother Lodur with her numerous affairs. When she fell in love with a goldmine owned by a dwarf who demanded her constant companionship, she abandoned her husband; leaving him with a yearning so unbearable he walked into the lair of a pack of wolves and allowed them to devour his body. Freya was inconsolable, and pregnant with the child of one of the gold miners, when she was "rescued" from her self-imposed exile by the handsome and sympathetic Iwaldi. She was welcomed back into Asgardian society only because Odin loved Iwaldi like a brother. Odin never forgave her for what happened to Lodur, and for a while she seemed unable to forgive herself. She was a beacon of morality and dutifulness for a short while, but eventually she fell back into her old habits. Lust and greed beckoned to her once again in the form of another lonely dwarf with a never ending supply of gold. This time there would be no escape. The legend would go that the goddess died in the midst of a fertility ritual, the truth was she was cast off the side of a mountain after being caught with a lover by the jealous dwarf.

Sigyn tried something she hadn't tried since she overcame the exceptional grief of losing her mother. She looked deeply into the eyes of the marble bust of her Freya's likeness, and opened her mind completely. She searched for a thought, for a feeling, for a heart rhythm, and heard absolute silence. She could stand here in this spot and hear the thoughts and feelings of any and every being in any of the nine realms, even those on Midgard, an entire dimension away. The only barrier to her power was death. She did not need her mother's advice, or her opinion, or her approval to get her through the day. She just needed her mother. She realized the tears as they fell onto her bare feet, and she turned towards the door as she wiped them, for someone else was there with her now.

"Do not cry child. Your mother has taken her place in Valhalla. We should all be lucky to join her someday."

"Oh Father." She said, hugging him "I understand that, but I miss her on days like this."

"Yes, your mother would have never allowed me to betroth you. For that I am sorry Sigyn. If there was ever a time I wished I had chosen my words more carefully, it was the day I gave my daughter away with a promise to a stranger."

"He saved your life. You owed him a debt."

"He got more out of the deal than I did. I was positively swindled." Iwaldi smiled at the sight of his daughter giggling, and then he spoke in a more serious tone. "If you have any doubts about this marriage Sigyn, if you have seen that he is of bad character, tell me of it now."

"I have seen nothing of that sort Father. It is true that he is not the ideal I dreamed of in my mind, but he is more than adequate in every other way besides. I have no qualms about this marriage."

He nodded; still a look of guilt was in his eye. He was disappointed in himself, although he had not expected to feel so badly about it, he thought he had overcome this ages ago. He took her by the arm and led her out of the memorial room. They ate breakfast alone together on the terrace of his bedroom, and talked and laughed about many things, including the course of Justus' education, as the suns of Asgard rose higher and higher in the sky. They were speaking of the fragile nature of the treaty Odin had reached with the frost giants when one of Sigyn's maids came hurrying into the room, bowing deeply to them both.

"Lady Rona is searching the palace for you, Goddess; she says it is past time for you and your ladies to get ready. The wedding is in three hours time."


	5. Chapter 5

It was a mad dash from the moment she entered her makeshift dressing room until the choir of Valkyrie began to sing the Asgardian Wedding March. She stood just outside of the gate to the garden, unseen by the hundreds of guests. Nobility from all of the nine realms were there, even those who were on the brink of war with Asgard sent a representative out of respect. Syn, Sif, and Lofn lined up before her, all taking a moment to look back at her and smile encouragingly. Rona had reluctantly taken her seat with the other guests, not at all pleased about giving up her last few moments of control. Sigyn's nerves made her bounce up and down a little on her feet, and wring the bouquet in her hands so vigorously the petals of her flowers fell off. She whispered to them and they sprung back into place, only to fall again as she absentmindedly continued to wrench them nervously in her hands. The gates of the garden were opened by two handsome ushers, as the guests of the wedding stood to their feet and turned towards the aisle. She had to breathe deeply, and concentrated on that, as well as on not turning and running as fast as she could in the other direction. As Sif began to walk down the long aisle, towards the silver dais that sparkled bright under the rays of the suns, Sigyn tried desperately to remember why she was doing this. Why was it so important to keep this particular promise? She felt sick, dizzy, and faint. She was more than nervous. She dreaded walking down that aisle.

Sif stood at her position on the far side of the platform where Theoric, his groomsmen, and Odin stood as well. It was time for Lofn to begin her descent down the long aisle, lined with the petals of white oleander, the flower that represented their mother in her absence. The guests were trying to peek out of the gate to catch a first glimpse of Sigyn, who was too busy trying to repair her bouquet to notice them. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing Theoric at the end of that aisle until she absolutely had to look at him. She wanted to run, but knew that was a foolish instinct. She was too hard on him, on the prospect of marriage in general. People were betrothed every day, Odin and Frigga had been betrothed and they were fine. She was being spoiled, if Loki had been there he would have told her so, she was acting like a child.

And so she stood up a bit taller when Syn finally took her first steps down the aisle. She cleared her throat and put on the most genuine and decorous smile she could muster, happily remembering that her father was waiting just inside the gate to take her arm and escort her down the aisle. Syn finished her walk, and as Sigyn stepped up to the gate and came into full view of all her guests, they were unable to hide their surprise at her beauty. They clapped, some gasped, some women wept, some younger women scowled, for her gown would never be outdone, and all other gowns would be compared to it. It was floor length and formfitting, putting all her womanly curves on full display. It had no straps, though her seamstress had managed to cover her ample bosom so as not to show too much skin. The entire dress was covered in white beading that made it glitter like diamonds in the daylight. She looked like a walking galaxy off stars, and her jet black hair was loosely pinned into a high and elegant bun atop her head, while a bang hung in her face and a few fly away strands hung here and there. The only jewelry she wore was her gift from Loki, the hybrid stone necklace she had received the night before. She opted not to wear her crown of sapphires or any sort of regal attire; she wanted to marry Theoric as a woman, not a Goddess of the Realms.

She kept her smile plastered on her face and placed her hand delicately into her father's. They began their walk to the end of the aisle, her eyes focused on Theoric who was dressed in a new uniform, complete with his battle armor freshly forged and gleaming in the sunlight. The silver of it made the necklace she wore stand out all the more, as it was the only golden thing in the wedding. Odin looked at the stone as she approached, and smiled for he recognized it immediately. His son had enlisted his aid in finding it, and had watched over its development into a necklace with the eyes of a hawk. His eye wandered, along with Sigyn's, over to where Thor, Loki, and Frigga sat in the front row. Loki looked positively un-phased by the pomp and circumstance; his eyes were looking at nothing in particular, he might as well have not even been there for as much attention as he was paying. Iwaldi helped Sigyn onto the dais and then stepped down; placing her hand into Theoric's. Sigyn's eyes fell curiously on their hands as Theoric intertwined their fingers and squeezed her hand, reassuringly.

"We are gathered here, on this glorious morning, to join in most honorable matrimony two of the finest citizens Asgard has ever known. Sigyn, Goddess of Loyalty and Bonds seeks to be married to Sir Theoric, brave and heroic warrior in the Army of the Allfather, Defender of Asgard." Odin paused for a moment and looked at Iwaldi "Who here gives this most esteemed woman to Theoric as bride?"

"I do your majesty," said Iwaldi with a small bow "as her father and with the sincerest hope that you will look upon their union with favor, and grant them both longevity, even amongst we immortals."

"I shall indeed, most valiant Sir Iwaldi. Your daughter is in his hands now, and we shall see to it that he honors her as both a woman and a Goddess of the Realm."

Iwaldi bowed again and took a seat next to Frigga in the front row. Thor looked over at Loki, knowing how hard this must be for him, for with their hands linked together Sigyn and Theoric all ready looked very much like a perfect married pair.

"If you need to step out brother, I will cover for you." Thor whispered, as much as Thor _could _whisper. Loki nodded his understanding, but did not move. He seemed to be fine, even tempered, perhaps even a bit bored, which was strange and puzzled Thor to no end. "Will you object when the time comes?"

He sneered and shrugged his shoulders, causing his brother to stifle a chuckle, as Odin continued with the ceremony.

"This union is of the utmost importance, we regard it as holy. To be married is to form a sacred and everlasting bond with another, one of unyielding faithfulness, unwavering fidelity, unending support, and unconditional love." He looked into the eyes of the bride and groom. "It is not a commitment to undertake lightly, but one that should be entered into with the utmost sincerity and reverence. Do you both fully understand the gravity of the vows you are about to take?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, the bride and groom have every intention of being joined together, as man and wife, to live as one forever and throughout all eternity. If there is anyone here who can speak to their inability to do this, let them speak now, or be silent for all eternity."

Thor looked at Loki, who still looked uninterested in the ceremony. He had thought for sure he would protest, he had been in such a foul mood this past week. Sigyn listened very closely, but did not dare to look behind her. She had expected him to speak as well; she had wanted him to speak up for her. Suddenly Theoric squeezed her hand again, and she became even more confused. Sure the gesture was kind and sweet, but it was also thoughtful, and that was not a characteristic that Theoric possessed.

"Then we shall proceed with the vows. Bride, and Groom, face each other" They turned face to face, and Theoric linked their free hands together just as he did their other hands. Sigyn actually smiled, she loved the gesture. They met eyes, and he smiled back at her, a smile of more confidence and genuine excitement than Sigyn had thought Theoric capable of. "Theoric repeat after me; I take you to be my wife."

"I take you to be my wife."

"And vow, upon my honor and my life,"

"And vow, upon my honor and my life,"

"To love, honor, and cherish you throughout eternity and the beyond."

"To love, honor, and cherish you throughout eternity and beyond."

His eyes gazed into hers in a way they never had, they were absolutely captivating. He meant every word he said, and she trusted in him. It was as if she were seeing him for the first time.

"I vow to forsake all others, and pledge my everlasting love and faithfulness to you and you alone."

"I vow to forsake _all_ others, and pledge my everlasting love and faithfulness to _you," _the sincerity in his tone made Sigyn feel suddenly very sentimental towards him. He sounded devoted to her; there was actual passion in his voice. She did not know what to think about this abrupt and sudden change in the man "and you alone."

"Through all variations, circumstances, and unforeseen trials that will come."

"Through all variations, circumstances, and unforeseen trials that will come."

"Sigyn, repeat after me. I take you to be my husband."

"I take you to be my husband."

"And vow upon my honor and my life."

"And vow upon my honor and my life"

"To love, honor, and cherish you throughout eternity and beyond."

She looked deeply into his eyes, and sighed. It didn't matter how nice he was being in this moment, the next words out of her mouth were not at all something she wished to vow to _him._

"To love, honor, and cherish you throughout eternity and beyond."

"I vow to forsake all others, and pledge my everlasting love and faithfulness to you, and you alone."

"I vow to forsake all others, and pledge my everlasting love and faithfulness to you," she said, allowing a tear to fall down her cheek, knowing no one would understand its true cause. Most would mistake it for happiness, "and you alone."

"And vow upon my honor and my life to love, honor, and cherish you throughout eternity and beyond."

"And vow upon my honor and my life to love, honor, and cherish you throughout eternity and beyond."

She made herself mean every word of it. She would not break her vows; she would treat Theoric with the respect he deserved. He was trying very hard to comfort her, and she was grateful. The act would have been much harder to get through had he not been so sweet to her.

"Through all variations, circumstances, and unforeseen trials that will come."

"Through all variations, circumstances, and unforeseen trials that will come."

"Then, let us exchange the rings." Syn, and Theoric's best man, Inger stepped forward, each handing Odin a modest silver wedding band, the best that Theoric could afford. Sigyn happened to look up at him, and thought she saw a faint look of disdain on his face as he looked at the rings. She had at first chalked his odd behavior up to nerves, but now she was beginning to wonder. "Each of you take a ring…now repeat after me, together. This ring is a symbol of my love and affection, and our never-ending bond,"

"This ring is a symbol of my love and affection, and our never-ending bond,"

"It represents our unity and oneness; accept it as a token of the vows I have just made."

"It represents our unity and oneness; accept it as a token of the vows I have just made."

They slid the rings on each other's fingers, and Sigyn had to smile up at him, as Theoric beamed down at her. He linked their fingers again, as they turned to face Odin.

"Now, by the power invested in me as a result of my position as ruler of Asgard and Allfather of the nine realms, I now pronounce you man, and wife, and married. You may kiss the bride."

Sigyn prepared for a quick peck on the lips. She didn't even bother to close her eyes. She was shocked to feel Theoric's hands on the small of her back, shocked to feel his lips pressed firmly and ardently against hers. She closed her eyes and relaxed into his embrace. His kiss gradually began to feel familiar. She had tasted those lips before, and felt those hands holding her. Just as she opened her eyes at the realization that Theoric's body shape had just changed drastically beneath her hands, she heard a sharp and simultaneous gasp from the crowd. Sif drew her sword and stood ready for battle, Thor and Iwaldi both hopped to their feet, and some poor maiden let out a blood curdling scream.

"LOKI!" Odin bellowed, and shook the very ground of the garden "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS BOY!"

Loki looked shocked himself, and very frightened as Odin advanced upon him in anger. He took a step back off of the dais to remain out of arms reach.

"Father, I had to do something, I"

"YOU HAVE MADE A MOCKERY OF SIGYN, OF MARRIAGE, AND OF ME. YOU HAVE DISHONORED SACRED VOWS OF ASGARD. YOU WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN FOR THIS, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

"Of co-"

_Loki do not tempt him, hold your tongue._

She looked at him to ensure he had heard her, he nodded and turned back to his father.

"I intend to make an example of you boy. NO ONE IS ABOVE PUNISHMENT, NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM MY WRATH."

"Odin, please!" Frigga begged, coming to her son's side, "Let him explain."

"EXPLAIN WHAT! Everyone Can See What He Did, And I Care Not Why He Did It! He Is Banished From The Realm."

"Father be reasonable." Thor said through clenched teeth, his anger towards his father's harshness barely concealed. "None of us know what happened, you have not let him speak."

"WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE? HE IS BANISHED. YOU ALL SPEAK TO ME FOR LOKI, WHAT OF SIGYN? DOES SHE NOT DESERVE JUSTICE FOR THE HUMILIATION SHE HAS SUFFERED?"

Odin did not wait for a response, he simply raised a hand towards Loki, and a blast of white light shot in his direction. Loki flinched, not knowing what to expect after impact. But impact never came, for between him and Odin stood Sigyn, and Sigyn had conjured a blue orb around them that was utterly impenetrable.

The garden was silent for a moment, as Odin stood in shock to see his powers, which were meant to be the most powerful in the universe, felled totally by those of his Goddaughter. There was no spell or incantation that could protect like that. That kind of strength came from within, that kind of power was totally inherent, you either possessed it or you did not. Iwaldi ordered everyone except the Odinsonns and Sigyn out of the garden, and they all happily left. The tension in the air was palpable and the mood was shocked. Sigyn simply stared at Loki, as she undid her shield. She could not understand what had happened, or what it meant. Had she married Loki? Had she fulfilled her father's debt, or had she utterly disgraced her family?

"What is the meaning of this Brother?"

Thor asked, cutting right to the heart of the matter. His eyes, like everyone else's were on Loki. Loki knew he had to give the performance of his life, he had to convince them that Theoric had intended to leave Sigyn jilted at the altar.

"I meant to spare her the humiliation of being left at the altar."

"Horseshit, boy, why would he abandon the goddess?"

"Let him speak," Thor snarled, unaffected by the murderous look in Odin's eyes "He will speak truth where Sigyn is concerned."

"I found him drunk on the road outside of the palace last night. He spoke to me his intention to abandon Sigyn, to live in the mountains behind his house rather than go through life as nothing more than the Goddess' husband; He could not bear the thought of having a wife of more importance than him."

"Do you see, Odin, there was sound reason behind it!" Frigga said, taking her husband's hand "I believe you owe Loki and apology."

"He caused a complete debacle and now lies."

"I do not lie. His intentions were not honorable Father. He had no intention of coming today, so I assumed his person."

"You Had No Right. You Should Have Come To Me, and I Would Have Fixed it."

"I am sorry. But I could see no better way at the time."

"So what does this mean?" Sigyn asked curiosity and bewilderment all over her face "Am I Loki's wife?"

"Of Course Not, Daughter, do not fret. Loki will be severely punished for his actions, as I do not believe his story at all."

"He does not lie, your majesty. You know that I have ways of knowing that you do not." She lied, holding out her hand for Loki to grasp. They linked fingers once again, and he looked at her with absolute respect "I am not disgraced by this at all, and would like for the marriage to be upheld."

"What?"

"Loki acted only out of love for me, is that not exactly what he promised to do in the vows. I believe of all of us today, he truly understands the devotion and commitment a marriage entails, and I would be honored to be his wife. I will stand by him with or without your consent, but I would like to have it, as I know would he."

Odin advanced on them again, this time with a far less threatening look.

"Does your graciousness and wisdom know no bounds?" he asked, stooping to kiss her free hand "You shall have my consent. You shall henceforth and forever more be Sigyn Odinsonn, wife of Loki, Goddess of Loyalty, Bonds, and as of now, Fidelity as well." He turned his attention to Loki, who tried not to see the disappointment in his father's eyes. "I apologize deeply, my son. I love you very much, and should not have moved so quickly in anger towards you. You are an honorable man, and I hope you will forgive me eventually."

"There is nothing to forgive, Father," he said, happy to embrace Odin and speak no more of the rage he had just extracted from him. "I truly meant no harm."

"I do not believe you ever do. But one with so many abilities, so much power, must be careful not to wield that power irresponsibly. There are consequences to that." Loki nodded and Odin kissed his forehead "And now I suppose the Queen and I will go and explain the events to Iwaldi and the guests, and we shall see you two at the wedding feast. Come Thor."

The three left, Thor beaming from ear to ear, out of sheer happiness for the two lovebirds. Once they were out of sight and earshot, Sigyn released Loki's hand and sat on the dais, head in her hands, trying to compose herself.

"Are you very upset with me….Wife?"

"I am many things Loki, but I do not think I am upset." She looked up at him with a smile "I have gotten everything I wanted. I simply need a minute to adjust."

To her surprise he took to his knees before her and buried his face in her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and gently stroked his neck.

"I had no intention of breaking the spell until we were alone together tonight. Your kiss did me in. I was as surprised as anyone else. Thank you for aiding me, my father might have killed me if it were not for you."

She giggled a little; he could be meek as a lamb, cunning as a snake, fearsome as a dragon, her love now her husband, had many faces.

"Come Loki, we cannot linger alone much longer. We must be properly announced to the realms as husband and wife. I will not have it rumored that I belong to anyone else."


	6. Chapter 6

They entered the hall and a hush fell suddenly over it. Although Odin had explained the events of the day to the guests, they were all still bewildered by the entire situation. Eventually the claps and cheers began, and a fine time was had by all, although Loki and Sigyn could not ignore the murmurs and whispers among the guests.

"Is it not exactly like him to pull that sort of stunt?"

"I wonder what will become of Theoric, Iwaldi should be ashamed, if he had no intentions of marrying the girl fine, but then she should have been put away in solitude, in case her betrothed changed his mind."

"Iwaldi is no man of his word, that much is clear."

"Tis the God of Mischief we should blame. Odin will allow his sons to run rampant. He is an unfit ruler."

"Sigyn has to be the most naive woman in the universe. She willingly allows herself to be given to the Prince."

"She seeks a title."

"Goddess-ship was not enough, she sought to be royalty."

"She is so meek, he will destroy her."

"How could she refuse him, the poor thing? He is after all Odin's son."

All in the hall had their opinions, but they ate, drank, and danced as though nothing had happened. As Sigyn sat with Loki at the head of their table, she turned towards him, to find that he had been gazing at her.

"Can you not take your eyes off of me?"

"I would not even if I thought I could. I want to enjoy these last moments of you in that dress."

"Oh, is this dress to your liking then?"

"I like it well, but I shall like you undressed even more."

"Is that so?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. His innuendo was bound to become insufferable now that he knew she could not rightfully protest to it. "And where do you propose to undress me, for we have no place to live….unless you intend to move me into your father's house."

"Tis what Theoric intended…"

"Clearly _you_ are not Theoric, and I expect far more out of you than him." She said playfully, leaning closer to him, so close as to touch her lips to his as she spoke "If you seek to have me tonight, you must take me to a home of our own, otherwise…."

She pulled away just as he was about to kiss her, and stopped his pursuit of her lips with a hand outstretched and firmly pressed against his shoulder. He grinned.

"Otherwise?"  
" I shall remain in my father's house until you find me a home."

This was pure deception on her part. She could care less about moving into Odin's palace, she was simply stalling. Loki knew this, for the truth was she was nervous, and rather than admit that, she had come up with this ruse. Little did she know that he had fully intended to present her with a home she could truly be proud of, and one they could make entirely their own.

"There will be no need for that, Love; I have a place for us."

"Do you?" she said, more excited now than anything else "Where is it?"

"I've been preparing it for a little while now, you shall see it as soon as you are ready to leave this wretched feast."

"I _am_ ready to leave this wretched feast," She stood, grabbed his hand and tried to pull him out of his chair "Come, I wish to see my house."

They were sent on their way by all their guests with much well wishes and waving, in a carriage made of silver and drawn by a black Pegasus. He trotted along the streets of Asgard, his driver gently guiding the reigns to the location Loki had whispered into his ear. Sigyn sat in a corner of the carriage staring out of the window. Loki was on the other side, as far away from her as he could be.

"Come over here."

"I like the view from this seat," she lied, she didn't quite know why. "So you plan for me to make you a home in the city?"

"Maybe."

He crossed the carriage and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders, which she nestled into, leaning against him. She was uneasy about sleeping with him, but being near him felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"Do you remember when we got lost in the city, Loki, when we were very young?"

"Of course I do, I remember how fearless you were too. If you were afraid at all you never let it show."

"Oh I was. It was all my mother's fault, really."

"She was supposed to be shopping with us for, someone's birthday gift…"

"Lofn's." she said, absentmindedly playing with the tips of his fingers on the hand he had draped around her. "Lofn wanted a doll like the children on Midgard played with, and we searched all over the city for someone to make us one."

"And afterwards we went to eat, and your mom left us in the dining hall."

"She was so inconsiderate: we were so _small _and so young. I was terrified Loki, wandering the streets, I had only ever passed through the city in a carriage. It would have been so much worse if I'd been alone. But you were there so I knew I was safe, and I could pretend to be brave if I thought I was safe." She turned to face him, and gently pressed her lips to his. "And you saved me from my fears again today. You call me spoiled, but I think you have been the one to spoil me most of all, all my life."

He nodded his agreement and kissed her again, gently sucking her bottom lip as he moved to kiss her chin, and then moved lower to her neck and the exposed skin of her chest and shoulders. Her hands trembled on his arms and her eyes were closed. She loved the way he touched her, and his kisses were warm and wet, exhilarating her as they landed on her skin. She was confused by the way his kisses on her neck sent an unfamiliar but altogether welcome sensation between her legs. She wanted to want to make him stop, since that seemed the right thing to want, but when it came to Loki she began to realize that doing the right thing would never be easy; it wouldn't even always be obvious what the right thing was. He brought his mouth back to hers and kissed her again as he laid her back across his lap, one hand holding her from behind, the other wandering down her body, slowly over every curve of her until he reached her thigh, and sought to raise her dress. She grabbed his hand and pulled away from his kiss, breathing heavily, her now bright red lips parted open as she tried to catch her breath.

"The carriage driver will see us. You know I am too modest for that."

He nodded and kissed her again, his hand placed now on her cheek, ever so gently and properly. She would gladly kiss him forever, for everything he felt for her was in his kiss. His devotion and admiration and sheer lust for her was obvious in the way he licked and bit her lips, and the way he let her slowly run her tongue over, under, and around his. She could play coy all she wanted to, but this woman was more than willing to lay with him. He could tell she _wanted_ to, that was quite obvious, what he didn't understand was what was stopping her.

She was softly kissing his neck when the carriage slowed and came to a stop in front of a large mansion on the main street of the City of Asgard. Sigyn looked up at the house from the window of the carriage and beamed at how its stone walls glowed a silvery white in the moonlight. She wondered when he had purchased it and why he had never brought her here, and marveled at the fact that it was hers as she allowed the carriage man to help her out onto the street. She walked into the gate as Loki paid the carriage man, and looked in the garden as she waited for him to unlock the door.

Even though it was empty, the style of the house and its building materials were opulent. No less could be expected when Loki was in charge. Standing four stories tall, with many large windows and a golden staircase, the house was immaculate even without furniture. She ran from room to room, floor to floor, getting more and more excited about making her husband a home. She came to the top of the stairs on the fourth floor and gasped. It was decorated already, and everything in it was perfectly in place, the bed, the furniture, and the fixtures all what she would have chosen had she had the opportunity. Lit by candlelight, Loki lay in the center of the gigantic bed, with its royal blue linens and raised his eyebrows.

"How did I do?"

She smiled at him, and walked over to the bed.

"Undo this." She said, turning her back to him. He slowly unbuttoned the many buttons on the back of her gown, and could not resist the urge to kiss the back of her neck and her shoulder blades as he did so "Thank you."

She said, before hurrying into their master washroom. She marveled once again at how it exactly mirrored her tastes, with a silver claw foot tub in the middle of the black marble floor. She smiled and slid out of her dress, covering herself with her hands and standing before the mirror. She examined herself in the full length reflection, and conjured an emerald green lace nightgown. The lace was of course sheer, and the nightgown was so short it barely skimmed the middle of her thigh. It hugged her body tightly, and she took a moment to gain the courage to leave the bathroom in it.

_He is your husband, it is more than all right for you to lay with him, it is your duty, and it is what is expected of you. It is all right, there is no shame in it…_

She was as attached to her virtue as she was to Loki, but she wanted him more than she wanted to maintain her virginity. She smiled at herself in the mirror, pulled the pins out of her hair and took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping out. He sat on the edge of the bed, removing his boots, with his back turned to her. As she came into his view, in a nearly see through nightgown, with her hair falling in her face and the expression of a little girl, timid and shy, he had to laugh at how charming she was. Her face suddenly went from innocent to embarrassed, and a little hurt.

"I knew I should not have…you are right to laugh, I must look like a fool. "

She quickly knotted her hair into a bun and tried to cover herself as Loki grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him so she stood between his legs.

"You look beautiful. I was not laughing at you Woman." He said as he pulled the knot out of her hair and let it fall back down "Do you wear that green to symbolize the envy every man in Asgard bears me tonight?"

"Do not tease me," she said, staring down at the floor and smiling sweetly at his compliment "I wear your color, my Loki."

"I can tell you are afraid, Love, you do not _have_ to do this; if you are not ready I will wait."

"Do you not desire me?"

She asked, looking at him, a little offended, wondering why else he would say such a thing.

"Of course I do, Woman!" he exclaimed, annoyed that she missed the meaning of his words "But I do not mean to force you into bed. I was simply trying to be….gallant."

"Well do not. It does not suit you," she joked as she placed her arms around his neck and climbed onto his lap, her knees on either side of him "Despite what the realms may think, I know exactly what you are capable of and I want all of it. I want to be the only woman in the universe who knows how to please the God of Mischief."

"Sigyn,"

"Shhhhh," she whispered in between small kisses on his lips. She knew he intended to restate that she did not have to continue if she was not sure. But she was suddenly very sure, and although there was a bundle of nerves in a knot in her stomach, she recognized they were a result of her inexperience. "I said I want to please you, now show me how."

He looked up into her face, and saw that she was all right. His hands held her hips, his fingers pressing into her skin. She slid closer to him before kissing his lips, teasing his tongue mercilessly with her own, before running her tongue slowly down his neck. She then planted small sweet kisses and tiny little bites all along his throat. The drastic differences in her affections made Loki smirk, it seemed she could not decide whether she wanted to devour him or make love. But it all meant that she wanted him, desperately, which was more than he had ever hoped for and all he cared about.

She writhed her hips instinctively against the bulge she felt pressing against her from under his pants. Loki removed his outer layer of dress, tossing the dark colored coat to the floor, and Sigyn was very helpful in removing his under tunic, pulling it gently over his head to reveal the beautiful pale skin of his torso. Her hands ran over his chest to his abs, to his sides and back as she caressed his lean body, letting her hands wander freely and resting her head on his shoulder. Her fingers fell upon the lacings of his pants, and undid the tie there. He pulled her hands to his neck, and easily lifted her hips enough to guide himself inside of her. He had to make a conscious effort not to pull out immediately, for her body was so taut around him, and so wet that he knew he would not be able to last very long.

"Loki," she whimpered, completely taken aback by the pain she felt, but much more aware of how fully and perfectly he filled her "Loki…"

She repeated herself; she seemed to have forgotten all other words, as he guided her hips up and down, in a circular like motion, holding her down on his lap for a moment before slowly guiding her up again. As he continued to move her hips, he gave special attention to her neck, kissing and sucking on it vigorously enough to leave marks there. She grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, he would never admit how much such little gestures of rebelliousness aroused him. She began moving with a rhythm all her own and grabbed his hands, connecting her fingers with his to steady herself as she wrapped her legs around him, and simultaneously pushed him deeper inside of her. He felt her already tight walls tighten even further around him, and tried to quickly readjust her, or at least stop her from moving, but it was in vain. He breathed a deep, satisfied groan and felt his seed release inside his beautiful wife. She looked a bit confused, hesitating about touching him or moving at all. She wondered why everything had stopped so suddenly.

"Are you all right Loki?"

She asked, laying a hand lovingly on his chest as he caught his breath and smiled at her.

"I believe I should be the one asking you that."

"Oh, it was very pleasing to me," she said, the look of innocence returning to her face, "I just wish it had lasted longer."

He laughed at her honesty, causing her to wonder what was so funny about what she had said. He kissed her forehead and she lay against his shoulder again, wrapping her arms tightly around him before beginning to run her fingers up and down his spine. He was immediately revived by the action and lifted himself and Sigyn up, laying her gently on the middle of the bed. As he stood over her, she pulled her short nightgown, which had been lifted up to her waist, down to cover herself, modesty getting the best of her. He let his pants fall to the floor and was as comfortable in the nude before her as if he were alone in the room. She had never seen him undressed, and as she ogled his form she suddenly yearned to have him inside of her again, she bit her lip and lowered her eyelids at the very thought of it, her legs squeezed together involuntarily as she waited for him to come near her.

"Look at how you_ gaze_ at me," he said to her as he lay next to her "I feel rather objectified."

"You should, you belong to me now. You _are_ my object, and you will do what I wish."

She turned on her side and ran her fingers from his belly button to his groin. He pushed her back and pinned her to the bed, arms high above her head, held there by one of his hands.

"You belong to me as well, so shall I do whatever I please with you?"

She shook her head no, he kissed her forcefully, pulling up her night gown and trying as well to open her legs.

"No,"

She pulled away from his kiss, a defiant look in her eyes. Loki tried again to open her legs, but she stubbornly held them together. Suddenly his eyes flashed her a look that sent a thrill through her entire body and that wicked smile crossed his lips. He roughly yanked her legs open and released her wrists, holding her legs open wide, pressed flat against the bed. She wiggled and struggled playfully against his strength, but found there was no escaping his grip. She fought her urge to scream as he suddenly drove himself inside of her. He knew what to expect this time, and although she still felt unlike any other woman he had ever had before, he was determined not to be overwhelmed again. Her moans and breaths sounded amazing as she let them escape her lips between kisses, but it was the way she called his name that told him how intensely she was enjoying everything he did.

He kept her legs pinned down to the bed and thrust into her forcefully enough to shake the entire structure and cause the posts to sway in keeping with his movements. She closed her eyes tightly and let out a small squeal of delight as he pulsed his movements, moving quickly in and out of her, while barely pulling away at all. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him close to kiss him, although her constant moans meant she could only touch her forehead to his and lay there with her mouth partially open, shaking as she reached her climax over and over.

His movements slowed and he unpinned her thighs. She took the brief pause to try and catch her breath only to have it taken away again as he raised her leg over his shoulder and kissed her passionately. He moved slowly, taking long deep strokes and muffling her moans with his kisses, until he decided to spread his affection to her neck, chest, and breasts, removing the straps of her nightgown from her arms and lifting it over her head.

She was delirious with bliss, her legs and thighs felt numb, her arms were sore, and she was so sensitive to his thrust by now that he barely had to move at all to send her completely over the edge. She wanted to beg him to stop, tell him that she could not take it anymore, but all she could manage to say was "Loki, please," before a wave of pleasure washed over her and rendered her speechless. As heavy as they felt to lift, she managed to wrap her legs tightly around his body, rolling her eyes in ecstasy as he quickened his movements. She clenched all the muscles between her legs and made it nearly impossible for him to move. It was his turn to moan her name as she used a sudden burst of energy to raise her hips off the bed and began to move to meet his thrusts, hearing and seeing how close he was to finally getting satisfaction himself. He pushed her hips back down to the bed, then grabbed the bedpost above their heads to brace himself, his movements even more powerful than before. She wrapped her arms around him and tightened her legs, forcing him to go deeper and deeper inside of her. She looked intensely into his eyes, touched his cheek gently, and spoke softly.

"Please, my love, I do not think I can take any more."

She barely had the words out before they both succumbed to a climax deeper and more satisfying than anything either had ever experienced before. He lay breathless against his Sigyn's chest, able to hear her heart beating rapidly and her lungs attempt to regulate her breathing back into its normal pattern. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. She still smelled of the floral oils she rubbed on her skin every day after she bathed. He could not move, he didn't realize how exhausted he was until he stopped moving. Sigyn gently curled his hair around her fingers and looked up at the ceiling of their bedroom. Their Bedroom .She smiled at the thought of it and was content, even despite the aches and pains and throbbing she felt everywhere. As she thought over the day, she smiled wider, then spoke, figuring now, with him lying naked and worn out in her arms, was as good a time as any to ask what she had been wondering ever since they left the garden.

"Are you satisfied with your wife Loki?"

"Entirely."

"And you do not at all regret marrying me today?"

"Of course not."

He mumbled, half asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Good... Loki?"

"Yes, Woman! I am trying to sleep!"

"I have but one question; what have you done with Theoric?"

"What?"

He shot up from his rest and looked into her eyes, trying to determine if she had read his mind.

"I know it did not happen as you have said, now tell me where he is."

"How could you possibly know that?"

He asked, accusing her with his eyes and preparing himself to deal with the rage that would come if she had violated his mind.

"I am not a fool Loki," she remarked, soothing him a bit with a gentle caress of his cheek. "You said you spoke to him on the road outside of the palace last night. He was nowhere near the palace last night; he was slumming with the Warriors Three at the drinking hall, his home is in the opposite direction, and so he would have had no reason to be on that road."

He was a little amused to hear her call the men's actions of the night before slumming, just as he had thought of it. But it was a joke they could not share, unless he was prepared to tell her the entire truth. So he lied, coolly.

"I said he was drunk. He was lost."

"Theoric could drink the entire Asgardian army under the table and still find his way home; his father was a Navigator of the Realms, and taught him _everything_ he knew. He Would Not Be Lost. Lie if you must, but do not insult me with half hearted stories a simpleton could poke holes through."

"I did nothing to him."

"I know you better than that, I know him better than that." She pushed him off of her and covered herself with the bed sheet before sitting up. Loki laid on his back, his hands over his eyes, wondering what he could say to get her to quit with this. "He would have been there today unless you stopped him somehow. Just tell me what you did!"

"Nothing, Woman, do you really _not_ trust me? I thought you were the one who believed me to be a good person, now I see you think I am capable of anything."

"Is it that bad? Is he dead Loki?"

"Sigyn, I do not wish to speak of it. We have just shared a bed, this is our wedding night, why would you wish to spoil it with talk of Theoric?"

"You _killed _him!"

"I did not kill him Sigyn,"he said, with a deep sigh, reaching for her hand, which she freely gave him as she sat perched upon her knees on the bed next to him "I will admit I considered it, but I thought of the possibility that you would find out and be so grieved by it that you would resent me."

"So where is he?"

"He is among the Wandering."

"The Wandering!" She reacted loudly to the news and Loki closed his eyes, expecting her to strike him "Loki that is _**worse**_ than death!"

"He was a wretch; he deserves the fate I dealt him."

"Loki, _he by no means deserved THAT!_ You must return him here."

"It is impossible, and even if it were not, I would not. You did not see his behavior in that hall."

"I know what he was capable of, but still –"

"No you read his memories and saw him in action, but being a woman you could never know what he was capable of. I saw him with my own eyes. He lacked self control, and he would have harmed you. I did what I did out of love for you, to protect you, and I will not apologize for it; I do not regret it. I told you he would suffer if he hurt you, now he suffers because I saw the potential in him to hurt you."

"But Loki…"

"No more talk of this, Woman. It is done. You cannot change it."

She heard the finality in his tone and knew it was pointless to argue with him. She lay next to her husband and closed her eyes, unable to get the image of Theoric walking aimlessly through the fires of Muspelheim out of her head. Wandering was a punishment reserved for the most despicable criminals in the Realms, nothing short of murder would merit such a penalty. The inhabitants of the Wandering Plane of Muspelheim were unable to speak or remember who they were, what they did, or how they got there. They no longer knew of the Realms, nor did they know from which world they came. They were burdened with a strong desire to escape the plane, to get relief from the unbearable heat, and so they wandered, to and fro, from one side of the plane to the other, believing each time they began their journey across again, that they would find the way out on the other side.

Theoric had been a bore, and he had been whorish, and he would have been a philanderer had they married, but none of that meant he deserved to wander amongst the most notorious criminals in the universe. through fire and excruciating heat for all eternity. She somewhat understood the reasoning behind Loki's actions, but he was wrong for them, and if she was honest with herself she knew he was motivated as much by his jealousy and dislike towards Theoric as anything else. She was deeply in thought, and was a bit startled as he moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms. She laid her forehead on the base of his neck and heard him sigh, he was completely worn out. She spoke calmly, but firmly.

"Know that I will be searching for a way to rescue Theoric from the Wandering Plane."

"Must you?"

"You said you did it for me, now I intend to undo it, it is not what I would have wished."

"No, you would have married him instead, and left me to pick up the pieces alone after he ravaged you, or worse. You were leery of him, Sigyn; you knew he was a scourge."

"But he did not deserve _Wandering_ Loki. You were wrong to deal with him so harshly."

"I was wrong? I thought I was acting in your best interests, I thought I was protecting you, so if I was wrong, then I was wrong and I am prepared to be wrong many times in the future, anytime I feel you need me to keep you safe."

She kissed him softly and he held her closer to him by the small of her back.

"That was something of an apology I think," he smiled and nodded, more than happy to let her take it that way. "Good, then first thing in the morning I shall find Hugo and work on saving Theoric."

"Yes, good, and when my father finds out what I've done, I shall take his place on the wandering plane."

"Odin will never know. No one will know what you did except for you and me. I too can manipulate the mind Loki, and I will employ every power I possess to keep _you_ safe." She kissed him again. "I love you."

"Do you? Still?"

"All ways…."


	7. Chapter 7

"I understand you are newlywed Sigyn, but where is your mind?" an exasperated Hugo asked, wiping away the potion that had just exploded into his face "Perhaps we should call it a day, and try again tomorrow."

Hugo was a kind man, tall and skinny, golden haired and fair skinned, with icy blue eyes and a gentle demeanor. At first glance no one would suspect that he was a man who could disfigure, maim, or even kill you with a simple flick of his wrist. He was patient with all of his students, but over the years he had come to expect much out of Sigyn, she was able to quickly grasp onto the intricacies of sorcery in ways it took most years to comprehend.

"I apologize Hugo. Tomorrow will be better, I give you my word."

He nodded and began to pack his things away into his satchel. She hesitated to ask him what she wanted to know, and the source of her distraction was the guilt she felt about the fact that she might have to tamper with the contents of her mentor's mind.

"Well then, read up some more on the healing elixir and be ready to mix it again tomorrow. Good day to you…Princess."

"No, Hugo, not for you, I am still Sigyn to those who know me."

"You are royalty now, Princess; you must allow all of your subjects to lavish you with respect."

He bowed deeply, smiling and waving as he stood and turned to leave. She could stall no longer.

"Hugo, may I ask you a question before you leave?"

He nodded, happy to begin a discussion with her, for she was one of few who were knowledgeable enough to hold a conversation with him about his interests.

"Ask me anything."

She sighed deeply,

"I have need to retrieve someone from the Wandering Plane, is this impossible?"

"Impossible? No. Deadly, difficult, and dangerous….but not entirely impossible."

"What must I do?"

"Who wanders that you would deem in need of rescue?" he asked curiously, taking the seat next to her "Are not all who inhabit the Wandering Plane criminals?"

"There is one who was sent there who should not have been. It is entirely my fault that he is there, and I must bring him back."

"Sigyn," he said, touching her hand comfortingly "It is better if you forget this quest. I am certain you are not responsible for this person's fate, and even if you were, the risk you would put on your life would be far too great to deem the task worthy."

"Hugo, I am practically the one who sent him to the plane. It was done out of anger and spite, and if I do not retrieve him, I will never be able to forgive myself, much less forget what has happened." Her tone was stern, quiet yet completely unyielding "You can rest easy knowing that you have thoroughly warned me of it, but it is a risk I _must _take, this is a wrong I _must _right. Now tell me what must be done."

"Sigyn, you cannot even withstand the heat of the wandering plane long enough to find your prisoner, and then you would need the aid of a Frost Giant to ward off the guardians of the plane. They breathe a fire so hot as to turn anything in its path into ash instantly."

"A frost giant….well that will be difficult, seeing as how I despise them. But no matter, I will manipulate one to my purpose. What else?"

"No Sigyn I do not believe even you will manipulate the mind of a frost giant." He declared with enough force to grab Sigyn's attention "Laufey is quiet and brooding now, but in truth he is simply biding his time until some Asgardian is foolish enough to provoke him. Do not be that Asgardian."

She sat in her chair, fully reprimanded and brought back to reality. This was not going to be a test of her ability to wield her powers, or conjure spells; this was going to be more intellectual than that.

"Well then, if I can find a way to get a frost giant to aid me willingly, then what must I do."

"Heimdall will open the portal and you will pass through it, directly onto the plane. You will cast a finding spell, which will call your prisoner to you, and then you will cast a sleeping spell upon him, for he will try to fight you. The prisoners of the plane are enchanted to believe that anyone who tries to remove them is an enemy intent on bringing them to their death. It is a protection against such expeditions as the one you are bent on taking. It is meant to provide the prisoner with no hope for escape except finding a way out on their own, which does not exist."

"It does not sound as difficult as you made it seem."

"Your majesty has no idea of the undertaking of visiting the wandering plane. You will feel a heat which you cannot imagine, you will find it difficult to breathe, and everything you lay you eyes upon will waver before you in a haze of humidity. You will be at constant risk of losing consciousness. And that is only _if _you have the aid of a frost giant. Without it, you will suffocate in the heat, and you will die." He looked away from her, saddened by her resolve to go on this quest, and stood to leave "I beg you to reconsider. You have a husband and an entire kingdom that have need of your kindness and courage. Your existence, Sigyn, is one that I believe will have a profound effect on the entire universe someday. You are so young, and yet you are well on your way to becoming one of the most powerful beings in this or any realm. Do not be so quick to throw caution to the wind, for you are precious to us all."

The hall was silent except for the echoing sound of his footsteps as he left. She sat in the chair and leaned back, her head to the ceiling, her eyes closed. She wanted to heed his warning, but knew herself better than that. This was a great mistake that had been made, and if it required a great sacrifice to fix it, then so be it.

* * *

Thor and Loki sat, out of breath, dripping sweat, back to back on the ground in the field they were training in. The beast Loki had conjured was relentless, but they had managed to vanquish it, with the aid of Sif and the Warriors Three. Sif sat on the back of the beast, which lay dead in the field, and looked at the men, sprawled here and there. She had fought just as hard as any of them, harder than a few, yet she was energized, where they were spent. Her eyes fell upon Loki, who looked worried and a bit unhappy still, though she could not understand why. He had struck the blow that felled the beast, and he had done it with his bare hands instead of magic, she thought he would be over the moon. But then again, such things had never really moved Loki.

"Not only does my brother show up for his duties the very day after he gets married, but he also conjures for us a very irritable and dare I say vicious opponent for practice. Are you frustrated about something brother?"

"Yes Loki," said Fandral with a mocking laugh "Were you unable to properly salute your bride last night."

Loki shot him a look, and suddenly his laugh stopped, as did his breathing. He writhed on the ground, seemingly choking on absolutely nothing, before Volstagg lifted his friend and clapped him on the back. He gasped and heaved for breath, grateful for the sudden return of air to his lungs, and stood hunched over, half overcome by fear, the other half by relief. Sif shot Loki an accusatory look, but he did not look in her direction. He had even less use for Sif than she had of him. She was positively masculine, and that was a huge affront to Loki's sensibilities of what a lady should be. Not that he cared; she was Thor's problem, not his.

Thor suspected nothing strange in Fandral's sudden choking fit, and found his antics during the episode nothing short of hilarious. His laugh was loud enough to scare the birds out of nearby trees, as he doubled over. The sound of it caused Loki to start laughing as well, and soon the two princes were both overcome, made worse as Loki would pause to imitate Fandral's flailing limbs and look of terror as he had rolled breathless on the ground. Volstagg chuckled, Hogun displayed a rare smile, but Sif and Fandral were thoroughly un-amused. As the brothers calmed down and sat back up they turned to face their friends, and simultaneously cleared their throats and lifted their heads. They sat in exactly the same position, their knees bent, their arms resting on their knees, the same look of peace and contentment on their faces. Yes they were different, some would even say they were the exact opposite of one another, but no one could deny or question the brotherhood they shared.

Their friends looked curiously between the two, sitting like twins on the ground, but quickly got over it, for it was far from the first time that Thor and Loki had unwittingly emulated each other. They came closer and helped them to stand. Then they all began the walk back towards the palace, the brothers walking a bit ahead of everyone else.

"So, why are you here brother? I did not think to see you for at least a week; I figured you would still be in bed."

"If it were up to me, you would not. But my dutiful wife expects us to go back to business as usual."

"Even Mother and Father had a honeymoon."

"I told her this. The Woman is insufferable to me," he said, looking down at the ground to hide the grin of pure joy that crossed his face at the thought of his wife "She sets her mind upon a thing and will not give in until it is accomplished. She does not listen to me. She is stubborn and feisty. And none of it would bother me at all if she did not have this strange ability to…_chastise_ me."

"Chastise?"

"Yes, she finds out things that I do, that I do with entirely no wrong intentions, but simply because I want to do them, and she makes me feel like they are bad. She chastises me."

"She appeals to your conscience Brother,"

Thor said, poking Loki on the chest where his heart lied. Loki looked taken aback.

"Nonsense, I have no conscience."

"Tis what you would like us all to believe, little Loki," he said, putting his brother in a most affectionate headlock "But I know better, and Sigyn knows best of all."

* * *

Sigyn sat on the bottom stair of her golden staircase and sighed a tired and exasperated sigh. She had spent the first half of the day in Odin's library looking through every book on Muspelheim she could find, searching for an alternative answer to overcome the heat of the plane than the aid of a Frost Giant.

_I should simply take Loki's heart in a jar with me, it is certainly cold enough._

She thought, with another sigh as she rested her head in her hands and smiled. She regretted thinking it a little, but she could not bring herself to admit it. She wanted to be furious with him for what he had done, but the fact that he had gone to such extremes for her delighted a part of her to no end. He came through the door and looked around. Sunlight flooded the many windowed house, and made the staircase she sat upon gleam and shimmer, and her on it. She lifted her head to look at him, scowled in his direction, and quickly put her head back down.

"This is no way to start a marriage."

"Tell me about it."

"What happened?" He said, sitting next to her and placing a hand of comfort on her back "Did you find the task as impossible as I said."

"No, you liar, it is not impossible. It is potentially deadly, and I will most likely need to bargain my life away to a Frost Giant, but the task is not impossible." She shook with anger and knocked Loki's hand off of her, she made a very deliberate effort not to smile at him as he glared at her. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I'm not at all ashamed of myself, Love." She let him kiss her, then pushed him away "I want you to stop this. You made an effort, the task is impossible, now stop."

"No." she said, the finality of her position evident in her tone "You waste your time to ask it of me. And stop saying it is impossible. It is absolutely possible, and I intend to do it. The moment I get my hands on a Frost Giant I am on my way to Muspelheim."

He grabbed her chin and turned her head forcefully to face him, she moved to knock his hand away, but was intercepted by his other hand, which pinned her arm behind her back.

"Don't think to defy me Woman," he snarled at her "I am your husband and you will obey me."

She painted a look of fear on her face, and managed to summon a tear to her eye.

"Loki, you're hurting me."

His eyes fell to her arm, and his concern for her well being was evident in how quickly he released his grip and touched her shoulders gently. Her hands flew to his throat as she climbed onto his lap and pinned him against the stairs.

"You do not control me, Loki. I will do what you say for the most part, because I respect that you are my husband, but you will _never _control me." He looked amazed at her, then suddenly his eyes lowered and he licked his lips. "You're insane."

"I want you."

"And what if I say," she began, moving closer to him and tightening her grip on his neck "That you cannot have me until you bring me a frost giant."

"I would rally you an entire army of them." He declared as he played with a strand of her hair "The truth of it is that you can control me Sigyn, and I am not ashamed of that fact either."

"Good. Then you will help me, and I will give you what you want."

She kissed him, passionately, feeling a little bad about her treatment of him. She remembered Hugo's warning about Laufey and whispered into Loki's ear as he nuzzled her neck.

"Disregard my demands, my Loki, for I do not wish for you to commit another nearly irreversible act of recklessness. I will find another way." He nodded and continued to lavish her neck with affection, she held the back of his neck and gently stroked it "How was your morning?"

"Fine."

He was reduced to one word answers by his desire for his wife. He did not wish to hold a conversation about his tedious morning, he wanted to touch her, and kiss her, and hear her say his name as she had the night before. He decided that she was an intoxicating agent to him. She filled his head and his heart with the same kind of daze, sometimes even a stupor, and it lingered within him even when they were apart. Nothing was too much to ask if she asked it, everything paled in comparison to her. She was the first thing he had ever gotten that was completely his own, the first thing he did not have to compete with Thor for.

"I have to meet Rona in a few minutes Loki," she said as he pulled the strap of her gown from her shoulder "You'll have to wait."

"_She_ can wait," he stood with her, she wrapped her legs around his body and her arms around his neck as he carried her into their still empty living room and lay her down on the floor. The only thing between them was their clothes as he kissed her again, running his hands down her body, damning the champagne colored clothe of her gown all the way. He wanted to feel her skin. "Do not go to her. Stay with me, we can spend the rest of the day together and go back to our duties tomorrow."

"And tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow after that and you will keep pushing for tomorrow and tomorrow will never come." She smiled sweetly up at him, her frustration with his deeds had subsided for the moment. "I would love to stay in and make love to you all day, but we have responsibilities."

"We will always have responsibilities."

He ignored her protests and removed her gown; she wore a strapless silk slip beneath it, which stopped at her knees. She looked puzzled as he lifted it to her waist and proceeded to kiss her belly button, his hands gently caressing the soft skin of her flat stomach. She moved her abdomen in and out and giggled at his kisses and the feeling of his tongue on the sensitive skin of her belly. He planted little kisses all the way down to the top of her lace underwear, and began to remove them with his teeth, when there was a sudden knock, loud and urgent, at the door.

"Come quickly, your majesties, your assistance is needed at the palace!"

* * *

**It's short, but I will probably add more later tonight after class. I really want to know what you think about the story so far, so feel free to leave some reviews. Good or bad, I can take it! ; )**


	8. Chapter 8

They rushed hand in hand down the sunlit halls of the palace and into the bedroom of Odin and Frigga, where Odin lay propped up in bed, looking very annoyed with the situation he found himself in. Loki rushed to his father's side, while Frigga came and hugged Sigyn, the worry on her face not at all hidden by her loving smile.

"You two got here so quickly," she said, holding her daughter in law's shoulders "Thank you."

"What has happened?"

"Odin slipped rather unexpectedly into a Sleep. I found him on the ground in his meeting chamber," she fought back tears as she spoke, her composure beginning to dissolve "he would have lain there for hours if I had not happened to walk through."

"Where is Thor?" Odin called out from his bed, his frustration with being cooped up evident in his voice "I have instructions to give him, bid my son to come."

"I have sent for Thor, he shall come. Loki is here; instruct him since you are bent on disregarding the healer's advice and continuing on as though nothing happened."

She sobbed openly into her hands, and welcomed Sigyn's comforting embrace. As they exited the room, Loki looked at his father. Though he was as worried for him as his mother, he knew better than to show it. His father would take it as a sign of weakness, and kings could not be weak.

"Father, Thor was resting when I left him-"

"You will miss no opportunity to tattle on your brother will you Loki?"

He rested his eyes on Loki's for the first time, and although he wore a playful smile Loki thought he detected a look of accusation in his eyes.

"No Father, I was going to say I'm sure he will be here shortly, you know how difficult it can be to wake Thor if he is tired."

"You do love your brother, do you not Loki?"

"Of course I do."

He was shocked at the question, he had not meant for anyone to doubt that he loved Thor, especially their father. Odin looked glad to hear it, and to see the astonishment the implication had stirred in his younger son.

"Good, for Thor shall have need of you when the time comes for him to take my place on the throne."

"Oh so you have decided that Thor will rule in your stead?" his voice had a playful quality, he was not surprised, he had never really expected anything else "So all those tests you would pose to us were more for your amusement than anything else?"

"Nonsense boy. But the throne is Thor's birthright, and you know that. It is policy that dictates my decision, not choice. I believe you would make a fine king as well."

"Of course Father, I know. I remember you told us we would _both_ be kings, although, I did not understand what you meant then, much as I do not understand it now."

Odin hurried to change the subject, going on as if he had not heard his son's last statement

"Thor is brave and well loved by all in Asgard," Odin declared with a look of pride on his face, which Loki tried to believe was there when he spoke of him to Thor "But he is also brash, vain, and thinks with purely a warriors mind. He will have need of your intelligence Loki. You have become a brilliant man, as diplomatic as you are cunning. And of course your skill in sorcery, that goes without saying."

"I will dutifully serve Thor as king, as I have tried to serve you."

"Do not sulk Loki,"

"I am not sulking, I am trying to mask my worry." He looked at his Father's face "Are you all right Father?"

"I would be fine if you would all stop fawning over me. I fell into an Odinsleep; can you blame me, after the ordeal of yesterday's wedding ceremony?"

Loki sighed and prepared to apologize, _again, _for his actions, but was interrupted by Thor's boisterous entrance into the room.

"Sleeping at midday I see, and making us _watch_ you do it. These are indeed the symptoms of age, old man." He lumbered over to the bed and hugged his father, punching Loki playfully on the shoulder afterwards "I see you have taken Mother's place as his nursemaid for the moment. I say let the man get up and go about his duties. He is the Allfather after all, what can harm him?"

"Well said boy." Odin agreed with a smile of pure amusement and a loving gaze towards Thor "Help me up."

Thor helped him stand, and the two began to walk and talk of Thor's coronation, completely ignoring Loki's attempts to speak reason to them and suggest that perhaps they could discuss this as he rested. He did not bother to follow them into the sitting room nearby, but instead walked to his old bedroom and laid himself down.

She crawled in next to him and lay on her back. They laid side by side, staring up at his ceiling, as they had done so many times before in this room. It was always night on his ceiling, the constellations of the entire universe sprawled above them.

"I left your mother in a far better state than we found her in. She was deeply shaken at finding him that way. The Sleep is meant to be deliberate, not sudden."

"Yeah….."

"Your heart is heavy, what happened?" she listened to his heart rhythm and felt the sadness there "Is Odin very ill?"

"No, no, it is nothing like that. I just…." He was grateful she could not see his face, for he was turning red, embarrassed to admit this aloud "I just wish he loved me as much as he loves Thor."

"Oh Loki," she said, sitting up and turning to him, touching his face "Why would you say that? Your father loves you very much."

"Perhaps, but it is not the same as the love he bears Thor. I do not often do things that are _wrong_, for I do not wish to anger our father. But when I do he is much quicker to punish me than he is Thor, who is always in violation of his duties as a prince, not to mention a god. And Father does not look upon me with pride, because I am not a warrior, with an insatiable lust for war and battle...He thinks I am weak."

"He cannot think that. Everyone knows you are a capable warrior –"

"But I am not Thor, Sigyn. I will never be as good as Thor; they all believe me to be evil. Even you think that."

"What makes you think_ I _think _that_?"

She asked, outright stunned at his words.

"You did not take my word about Theoric."

"You were lying, and I knew you were lying." She laughed at the look on his face, even though he looked sincerely wounded, he was adorable "But it does not mean I think you evil Loki. You are so sensitive."

"He has decided to make Thor king, Love. They plan his coronation as we speak."

"Oh, now the source of this mood is very clear indeed." She teased, as she stroked his slicked back hair "Are you very jealous My Loki?"

"I never truly wanted to be king. I just wanted Father to believe that I _could_ rule. He never thought I could. He never wanted it to be me. He lies and says he chose Thor because he is firstborn, but I can tell….there is another reason." He looked into her eyes and gave a small smile. "Read his mind and tell me what the real reason is."

"You know I would never," she kissed his forehead and then gently placed hers against it "but there can be no other reason Loki. You are second born, and that is your only fault. You have every quality a great king should possess. You are just as brave, and strong, and fearsome as Thor is. Your methods are different, but that does not make you any less worthy."

He kissed his wife softly on her lips, pulling her leg across his body and holding her close to him. She held his face tenderly in her hands and placed small kisses on his lips as he began to speak.

"I will understand if you leave me now. I know you only allowed me to marry you because it came with a chance to be queen."

He grinned at the sudden burst of laughter she released.

"You are entirely mistaken, your majesty. I married you for the _title_; a princess is afforded all the privileges of a queen, with none of the responsibility." He softly bit her finger as she ran it across his lips "I cannot speak for Asgard, but you will always be my king."

He kissed her again, this time much more passionately, as he sat up and pulled her closer to him, her hands resting on his shoulders. For a second time that day a knock interrupted their embrace. Loki let out a low and frustrated growl like sound.

"Prince Loki, his majesty the King requests your presence in the meeting hall."

A small voice called to them from behind the closed door, Sigyn laid her head on his shoulder as he hung his head and yelled a response to the messenger.

"I come. Thank you."

He snarled at the interrupting servant, whose hurried footsteps could be heard as he retreated down the corridor. Sigyn kissed his neck, and he slid her, unceremoniously, off his lap and onto the bed.

"Hey!"

"Oh, sorry Love," he turned to face her as he stood "my mind is elsewhere. I dread this meeting; it will be nothing but talk of Thor's coronation."

"Your brother will need you now more than ever Loki. Do not allow your father's decision to pit you against him."

"I shall try to remember that."

"Loki," she said, standing and grabbing his arm as he left, a look of warning in her eyes "Theoric is a prime example of what happens when you allow yourself to be ruled by jealousy. Bear that in mind."

He nodded, and kissed her quickly before leaving the room. She left shortly after him, going to find Rona, as she had forgotten to send word that she would miss her lesson.

Rona sat in the inner terrace of her grand house, which sat on a ledge, surrounded by a lush garden, and near the edge of a waterfall. She sipped tea and looked out ahead of her, turning when she heard her gate close. Her look of serenity and calm faded quickly as she laid eyes upon Sigyn.

"When I asked if you would like to take the day off, as you were newlywed, you said no, assuring me that your duties were as important to you as your new marriage, and you did not intend for them to suffer. Now granted, you have married a prince, and are now royalty, but do not presume to think that fact makes you any more entitled to waste my time."

"I apologize Rona," she said, taking a seat next to the noblewoman, "but the Allfather fell ill, and the Queen summoned my husband and I, and I did not think to send word of it to you….But I am here now, if you are willing to teach me."

"Under normal circumstances I would not." She said, pouring Sigyn a cup of tea "But those are extenuating circumstances, and what I have to teach you is of the utmost importance."

"Well then, do start."

"Do not push your luck Sigyn." she quipped, slightly amused at the girl's informal tone "Through your display of raw power yesterday, I discovered that you possess the rare powers of appropriation."

"Appropriation?"

"Yes. You have the ability to absorb the powers and qualities of other beings and use them as you wish. You were able to conjure a shield strong enough to block the Allfather's blast because you used his strength to conjure it."

"But I was unaware of that. I simply thought of a shielding spell."

"Here you go again, giving _sorcery_ all the credit! A shielding spell conjured by a mere sorceress would not be able to withstand the wrath of the most powerful being in the nine realms! No, child, you were able to harness his power to conjure that. That coupled with your own power was more powerful than his. But appropriation is a very complex thing, and it is a gift I have only read of in books. I have never met anyone who possessed it. So we will spend much time honing this and developing it, for it is a skill that will make you very powerful if you learn to properly use it."

"Where does it come from Rona? And how can you be so sure that it is what I possess? I have never before exhibited such power."

"Your mother, it is rumored, showed the signs of being an appropriator, but squandered the gift early on, and later lost the ability all together." She sighed deeply and stood "I am sure you possess it because I saw the encounter yesterday, and now if you do not mind, we shall test my theory…."


	9. Chapter 9

She studied diligently to learn and master the art of appropriation, and slowly but surely began to gain control over this new and mysterious power. She had practiced mostly on Rona, and had learned that she could not only appropriate powers and skills, but any facet of a being which was extraordinary.

Her studies took weeks, and took up all of her time. She seemed to only see Loki long enough for him to say goodnight and good morning to her. She was exhausted every night when she returned home, and had not even begun to furnish the house yet. Loki did not mind, for he was also preoccupied with the plans for Thor's coronation, and he could be at ease, for while her attentions were focused on this new skill, they were off of Theoric and the Wandering Plane.

She learned that her powers of appropriation were as varied and far reaching as the powers she was already familiar with. She could acquire the powers of anyone in any of the nine realms, without ever leaving Asgard. Rona was more fascinated by the new skill than anyone else, and she drilled Sigyn daily to continue to hone, perfect, and develop her gift.

"Control first Sigyn, then mastery."

She stood in the library of her father's palace, which she cleared of all furniture for the occasion, and practiced on all manner of beings. Rona would show her an image and give her a list of the powers they possessed, and Sigyn would concentrate and then demonstrate those very same abilities, one by one. Flight, fire breathing and conjuring, super strength, and any other power in the known universe became hers in an instant. She sat on the floor, her legs pulled up to her chest, her head resting on her knees, and spoke slowly.

"I believe I have come as far as I can without a break from this Rona. I believe a bit of distance from it will give me time to process what I have learned over these weeks." She avoided the noblewoman's eyes; she did not want her to see how tired she was, how much this training had drained her and how much she _needed_ a break. "Shall we resume our work after Thor's coronation?"

"Thor will not be crowned for another two weeks!"

Rona was far more eager to see Sigyn master her skill than the young goddess was. Yet she noticed the bags under her dear student's eyes, and though she would never say it out loud, a flood of understanding and concern came to her heart. Through all of this she kept the same look of sternness on her face, she would not let her sentimental feelings for Sigyn undermine the relationship they had developed. She was going to maintain her position of authority as the young woman's teacher, she had enough people who loved her, she needed someone to treat her with a firm hand.

"Yes I know Rona, but I assure you I will keep myself busy. I have an entire house to furnish, and a husband who I have neglected during these last few weeks."

"Of course, Princess, we will resume then. But know that I will be checking up on you in the mean time, I do not intend for you to desert your studies and duties entirely."

She unlocked the door to her house and was so tired it took her a minute to notice the candle light that highlighted the staircase. They gave off a dim and flickering light, which she followed up all the flights of stairs to their bedroom. She looked around and saw Loki asleep on an armed wingback chair next to the bed. A book lay on his chest, and at the foot of their bed sat a rolling tray, on which sat a silver platter, covered with a silver lid. She grinned at him, at the fact that he had tried in vain to wait up for her. She put down her things and stepped out of her shoes, then crossed the room and crawled into his lap, her head resting on the side of the chair, as she hung her legs over the arm on the opposite side. She took the book, marked the page he stopped on and laid it on his nightstand.

She took a long hard look at his face while he slept, as she believed this was a time that she could see the truth of her husband's being. He could not control his expressions in sleep as he did when he was awake. Loki was vulnerable now, defenseless. Her eyes wandered from his forehead to his eyes, to his mouth, to his neck. His cheeks and cheekbones were as striking as ever, and she realized that for as beautiful as his eyes were, his face was still captivating even with them closed. He had the peaceful serene look of a man without a care in the world, which stood in stark contrast to the furrowed brow he often wore, the worry he often carried. He looked happy in his dreams, and even as she thought this he sighed and smiled, turning his head towards her and laying it upon her shoulder.

"Are you here, or am I dreaming," he asked, eyes still closed, sleepiness causing him to mumble "I think I am dreaming."

"I am here, my Loki. I'm sorry I woke you."

He opened his eyes slowly, brightening the room a little with their coloring. She smiled sweetly at him, her cares of the day suddenly forgotten.

"You look happy. Did you get a hold of your power today?"

"No more than I did yesterday. It is slow work. But I am free from it until after the coronation, I have decided to take two weeks off to focus on being a wife!"

"Really? And what has suddenly made that something of great importance to you?" He asked with a yawn, stretching his arms over his head "Did you eat anything today?"

She shook her head no and kissed his cheeks.

"I always thought it was important. Other things got in the way, that's all." She held his hand and played with his fingers "I promise to be old someday Loki, and then to devote all my time and energy into being at your beck and call every minute of the day."

"Yes, but when you are old I will no longer want you." He grinned at her "Besides, it will take thousands of years for you to even begin to age."

"You are insufferable….and sweet. Did you light all of these candles for me?" he nodded, standing with her in his arms and carrying her to the bed "Any particular reason why?"

"I missed you; I wanted to do something nice. I had dinner prepared for you too." He placed her down on the bed and brought the tray of food around to where she sat. "Eat."

She ate, and fed him, and launched into a detailed description of how she had learned to control her newfound ability. She beamed when he told her how proud he was of her, and as she finished her last bit of food, she suddenly felt fatigue wash over her again. Every part of her body begged to lay down, her mind begged for sleep. She laid back as he sent the tray to the kitchen with a wave of his hand and extinguished the candles on the stairs. Her legs hung off the side of the bed, and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply, trying to relax after a long day of concentration and nerves being set on edge. He noticed the unsettled look on her face, the way her hands gripped the bed involuntarily. He kneeled before her and kissed her stomach through the fabric of her dress as he lifted the gown up over her knees and thighs. She was too tired to protest, or to try and persuade him to wait; she just hoped he would forgive her lack of participation. Her eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and with a sigh she dozed off, coming in and out of consciousness as he undressed her.

There was nothing unusual about his fingertips pressing into her thighs, or him opening her legs and placing them over his shoulders. However, her eyes popped open as she felt his tongue between her legs. She grabbed his head and pulled it away from her as she sat up, he looked surprised, and she looked mortified.

"You mustn't do that."

"Don't be a prude Woman." He placed a hand on her stomach and tried to push her back down "We're married."

He did not wait for her to respond; he simply kissed her belly button and thighs, and again hid his face within her, running his tongue over every inch of the soft skin there, which became wet almost instantly. He pulled her closer to him, and held her still as she began to shake uncontrollably as a result of her nerves and the shock she felt as he sucked, vigorously, on that particular area above everything else that he knew would drive her crazy. She gripped the sheets of the bed with one hand and his shoulder with the other in an effort to steady herself. She was too caught up in the sensation she felt to make a sound, all she could do was hold on for dear life as he used his tongue to play with the sensitive little area, which sent a constant and exhilarating thrill throughout her entire body. She wanted to touch his hair, rub his neck, scratch his back, but instead she dug her fingernails deep into his shoulder, knowing that if she let go she would fall over. Her legs were useless to her; they kept kicking out involuntarily, and pressing themselves into Loki's back. They were completely out of her control.

Her entire body wanted to be as close to his tongue as possible, and she found herself lifted off of the bed, held in mid air supported only by his shoulders and her arm that held the sheet. She wanted desperately to scream as he moved his tongue around in small circles. Everything he did was excruciatingly slow, he was in no hurry to finish, and the slower he went, the harder she gripped his shoulder. A deep sense of satisfaction went through Loki as she breathlessly whispered his name. It motivated him. He lifted his head to catch his breath and reposition her on the bed. She let him push her back, and as he began to kiss and suck on her again, she moaned softly. He pinned her hips to the bed with his hands and sped up his efforts until he heard her let out a small scream, and felt her thighs begin to shake.

He left her on the bed, unable to move and went into the bathroom. She pulled her now wrinkled slip down over herself, and drug her body to the middle of the bed. She felt relaxed now, still exhausted, but now the rawness of her nerves had subsided and she could lay there content and unburdened of all thoughts of work and duty. He came back into the room and she covered her face in her hands, giggling immaturely at the sight of him. He rolled his eyes at her inexperience, and lay across the bed, his head resting on her stomach. He looked into her eyes with a look of utmost seriousness.

"Could we have a child Sigyn?"

"Of course we could," she said, calming herself down, a little surprised at his question "at least I don't know of a reason why we could not."

"I think I would like to be a father. We could have a family of our own, our own little misfit. Can you imagine what our child would look like? Dark like you, with my disposition, or pale like me, with your bubbly personality."

"I'm not _bubbly. _And it does not matter what the child looks like, it will be the most beautiful baby in Asgard….we are not misfits, Loki, we are different, but we do belong here."

"I'm not always sure of that….but anyway, let's have a baby."

"Tonight?"

She teased him and pinched his cheek, playfully.

"We could try," he kissed the palm of her hand and then placed it into his hair, which she began to stroke lightly "I love going out and knowing I have you to come home to no matter what, and I think a child would make that feeling even more complete."

"But we only just got married Loki, and we have barely had time to see each other. Throw a baby in the mix and we will never have a moment alone."

"We can get nurses for it."

"I will raise my own child thank you."

"Well then we'll let our parents keep it from time to time when we need… peace."

"You need _peace _every night, is the child to live at the palace?"

She smiled at him, but he was not amused.

"The child will never live at the palace; Thor and I barely survived our father's games, I would never subject my child to them."

"Fine, Loki, I see how important this is to you. We shall have a baby. It is not like I have any control over the process anyway, so we shall work diligently towards that goal. After I return from Muspelheim I am all yours."

"Are you still bent on that?"

"More than ever, I never gave up on it." She shrunk back a little at the fury that crossed his face "I intend to go without a frost giant if that makes it any better."

"It makes it no better Sigyn," he replied his voice suddenly very weary "But I will not try to dissuade you again. I am tired of this. Go if you must."

He rearranged himself and settled far away from her on his side of the bed. She reached for his hand, which felt icy cold inside of hers.

"I will be fine. I can do anything a frost giant can do remember, in addition to my sorcery and my powers. I will not even be gone a day."

"At least take the casket with you." He suggested, his back still turned "I will steal it for you if you wish."

"No, I do not want to anger your father, and I will never get past Heimdall with a stolen relic in my hands."

"You may not get past him at all."

"Do not tell him what I plan Loki."

"He already knows, he knows everything."

"Well, let me be the one to speak to him, this does not concern you." She said, looking at the back of his head "I promise not to die on the Wandering Plane. Do you trust me?"

"No."

"Loki!"

"You make a promise you have no way of keeping, I'd be a fool to trust what you say."

She awoke late in the morning of the next day, to find that Loki had left already. He always woke first, he never slept for very long, but he always woke her when he woke, prodding her to get up and eat something before she started her day. A small twinge of resentment went through her, as she wondered what could possibly have pulled him away without seeing to her needs. She arose and bathed, feeling a small bundle of nerves in her stomach as she dressed. She would not wear a long flowing gown today, for her quest called for much more practical attire. She dressed in pants of lightweight cotton, and a form fitting sleeveless tunic, which laced together in the front. Her long, black hair was pulled into a tight bun atop her head, and around her waist she hung a belt, with many little compartments from which she hung a sword and a smelling potion which would knock Theoric out if all else failed.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she finished pulling on her boots, like new for she never had much occasion to wear them, and thought that she looked every bit the warrior. She wished Sif was there to see her, she would be truly proud at how positively vicious she looked. She took in the deepest breath she could and when she breathed it out again, she could see it. The air before her became chilly and the tiny particles of moisture that floated in it unseen, froze in midair, and fell silently to the ground. She grinned, although the display did little to assuage her fears, it gave her a bit more confidence in her ability.

She walked determinedly towards the portal and Heimdall. Sif's brother was immovable obstacle number one on a long list that loomed before her today.

"I wish to pass to Muspelheim, Heimdall."

"And what do you think to say to convince me to allow you to go on this most ill-conceived journey?"

He inquired, his authoritative voice bellowing out into the atmosphere, yet for as grand and loud as it was it was also somehow intimate. Heimdall knew all, and saw all; he was the Allfather's eyes and ears to the realms. He could tell you things about yourself and your plans that you yourself did not know, and he could do it with such detachment as to completely disarm you of your cunning and wit. He was someone Sigyn could relate to, they had similar abilities and were both of an odd color to be born Asgardians. Their sense of duty and honor however, was the common ground that they shared, and so Sigyn decided to appeal to his sense of dignity to explain her need to complete this quest.

"It is not ill-conceived, old friend. It is very well thought out indeed. There is a soul on the Wandering Plane who ought not to be there, and I intend to retrieve him. It is my fault he is there," she said, locking eyes with him in an effort to prove her earnestness "and I must right the wrong."

"Your husband is the reason Theoric wanders. It had very little to do with you."

"Heimdall, I did not think you capable of lies. You know I know better."

She grinned at him, he kept the same look upon his face he always had, a gaze that bordered between serene and severe. She knew he was lying; she also knew why and was flattered that he thought enough of her to try and protect her.

"Your majesty will forgive me for my untruth, as well as my inability to comply with your wish to cross the portal into Muspelheim."

"I will cross, with or without your permission Heimdall. I would prefer to do it with your consent, knowing that you watch my every move and will open the portal upon my return. But I will not be swayed by your words or stopped by your actions."

"The Allfather cherishes you as one of his own. I cannot allow you to endanger yourself. Also, violating the Wandering Plane is an action that could be mistaken for an act of war against the realm of Muspelheim. I cannot allow you to endanger this realm."

"I will go unseen." She assured him "I will remove Theoric from the plane, I will make every being there forget he was ever present. I will take every precaution to protect Asgard, Heimdall. Let me pass and you shall see."

"I am not convinced, Sigyn. You see much, but you do not see as much as I do. Go home, forget this."

"I will not. You will let me pass," he opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by her hand "I am the Princess of Asgard, and by my command you will open that portal. Now, before I lose my patience."

"You will forgive me, Princess."

"Yes, and you will forgive me."

She flicked her wrist and instantly bound Heimdall from head to toe with unbreakable chains, which held fast though he fought violently against them. She felt miserable as she relieved him of his sword and stepped into the domed chamber behind him. As she opened the portal and stood before it she yelled an apology to him, and quickly disappeared into the electrified and blinding blueness that was the path to the realm of Muspelheim.

As she disappeared, a tall pale figure emerged from the farthest corner of the domed sphere, and hurried over to undo the binds that held the guardian of the Bifrost. He apologized over and over again for his wife's actions. He deeply respected Heimdall, he admired the man's dedication to the realm, his many efforts to keep it safe and at peace, and he was astonished to see him disrespected in such a way.

"I intend to thrash her when she returns."

Loki assured him as he retrieved his sword and handed it back.

"_If_ she returns your majesty."

"Heimdall, I pity the poor soul who tries to come between her and this endeavor. She is Hel bent on retrieving that unendurable blithering idiot."

"I suppose your efforts to rid her of him once and for all were ultimately ineffective."

"To say the least. You know I was simply trying to rid her of a scoundrel, and help her to avoid losing her innocence in a loveless marriage, as her mother did. But now she goes to retrieve the very threat I sought to rid her of forever. You were a great help to me in that undertaking, and I can only imagine it is because you saw what her future would be had she married him" Heimdall nodded slowly, and Loki continued to speak. "I can never thank you enough for how you tried to protect her."

"Yes. She is an essential part of the future of Asgard. It is my duty to protect her…. Your father calls for you, Prince Loki. Go to him. Rest assured that I will be watching her every move." He said, walking into the dome. "She has all ready arrived on the Wandering Plane."


	10. Chapter 10

She felt the heat of the atmosphere before she burst through the end of the portal. She hit the red earth with enough force to wind her. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, involuntarily taking in a deep breath of the stifling air. There was very little of anything her lungs could use in their air, and as she tried desperately to reclaim her breath, her mind began to go dim, her vision became obscure. If only she could get some relief from the heat. If only she could breathe.

It had not crossed her mind to be fully ready the moment she touched ground on the planet, with its sweltering atmosphere. Everything here was damp as a result of the humidity, twelve suns hung in the sky in very close proximity to the planet. The inhabitants of Muspelheim were born in the heat, their bodies were well equipped to live in the climate, cold was foreign to them, it was a most unwelcome sensation in their realm. Everything on the plane shimmered in the humid haze, and seemed to be on fire, for everything was of a shade of red or orange: the earth, the stones, the mountains and the cliffs far off on the horizon.

The Wanderers took no notice of Sigyn, they took no notice of one another, they focused intently on walking in a straight line to the other side. Sweat poured off of them. The new inhabitants were easy to spot for they still wore clothes, all who had endured the heat for more than a few hours walked stark naked, unashamed. She tried to fight losing consciousness by grabbing the leg of a wanderer who passed by her. The Prisoner stopped abruptly in his tracks and looked down. He looked upon her with rage as he raised his leg high and stomped, first on her hand, then on her face, then on her chest. She could not breathe at all now, and writhed beneath his bare foot in agony, suffocating, slowly but surely. The prisoner took offense to her struggle, and stooped to grab her head and bash it into the ground. She mustered what strength she could to mush her hands into his face and hold him off, but he kept coming, his hands were in her hair, grabbing onto it tightly and using it to yank her head up.

And suddenly he was thrown across the plane, far away from where Sigyn laid. The guard stared down at her, heaving for breath looking distraught, and wondered what she was doing there and who she could be. She mouthed a plea for help to him, although she was frightened by his appearance, for he wore a suit of copper from head to toe, and she could see no face or eyes beneath the helmet he wore. He took pity on the human like creature, figuring she had to be hopelessly lost. He scooped her up and carried her off, across the plane in a direction it would never occur to the prisoners to walk.

They reached a small tower, and climbed a flight of stairs into a room with ten beds lining the cylindrical wall of the room. He laid her down on one, and removed his helmet. She tried not to recoil from his touch as she took in his appearance, the red skin, white eyes, pointed ears and sharp teeth were all characteristic of a fire demon. She needed his help, and did not seek to offend him. She could not breathe, the temperature in the chamber was no less stifling than on the plane, and Sigyn knew that she would lose consciousness soon.

"I am Greyjor, little girl. Who are you?" He leaned closely to her mouth and tried to make out the sounds she rasped into his ear "Sigyn of Asgard?"

She nodded. He looked puzzled, clearly she was not what he thought an Asgardian woman would like, covered in dirt, dressed like a man. But the helpless creature had no reason to lie.

_Sigyn, I have heard the name before, but surely this is not a goddess. She looks like a fugitive._

_I am the very goddess you think of, my friend. I have come to right a wrong I did to someone, someone who wanders on your plane. However, I fear I shall die in a moment, for I cannot breathe._

He looked shocked to hear the woman's voice in his mind as if she were speaking aloud. He backed into a corner of the room and sat there in awe. Sigyn took the moment to continue on.

_Do not be alarmed, Greyjor, I am not in control of your mind, I am simply speaking to you. I need air, close to that which we breathe on Asgard. Where can I find it?_

"You…you…you cannot, Goddess, there…there…is no such air here."

_Come near me Greyjor._

He came to her quickly, as though pulled by a magnetic force, and kneeled beside the bed she laid on. She placed her hand on his chest, burning her palm on the heat from the metal. She had no time to feel the pain of it. She closed her eyes and focused on the inner workings of his body, trying to appropriate his lungs. He gasped deeply just as she felt a sudden shift inside her own chest. Her labored breathing continued, but was much more successful now, as her new lungs filled with the hot, wet air of Muspelheim. She gave herself no time to fully recuperate, jumping up off the bed and hopping over Greyjor's body as she ran from the room, removing the memory of what had just happened from his mind as she went. She paused for a moment outside the door of the tower and looked around her, knowing she would be lucky to survive another attack from a wanderer, or discovery by another guard. She decided precaution was her best hope of success in this endeavor, another careless mistake, another unanticipated setback, would cost her her life.

She raised her arm and waved her hand in a slow sweeping motion before everything before her. All movement on the plane came to a stop. The guards stood frozen in mid patrol, the prisoners in mid-step, even the flickering haze of the humidity stopped. Nothing moved except Sigyn, who lowered her arm and took no time to marvel at her feat, instead hurrying to cast the finding spell that would call Theoric to her. She waited anxiously, concentrating on his face in her mind, to ensure that the right person would break from the spell and come walking towards her. The sweltering heat was her only companion as she waited, sweat dripped off of her face, her nerves sat in a lump in the pit of her stomach, and her head throbbed where the prisoner had kicked her. She did not want to break her concentration to heal herself, knowing there would be time for that later. She knew she had to do it before Loki saw the bruise he had left, or the entire Wandering Plane would be annihilated. She felt a little sick at the thought of her husband, truly afraid for the first time that day, for if she did not make it back he would be destroyed.

Her apprehension lifted a bit with the sight of a figure coming towards her. She fought the urge to run to meet him, instead waiting patiently for him to come nearer; he took his time, still walking with the slow labored gait of a wanderer. He stood before her and stopped abruptly, breathing heavily and not focusing on her or recognizing her at all. She knew better than to touch him, instead she waved her potion under his nose and he fell to the ground. She stood him up again with a wave of her hand and conjured him a belted robe to wear home. His chin rested on his chest as he dozed upright, and Sigyn felt a twinge of guilt shoot through her like never before as she realized that rescuing Theoric was one thing, righting the trauma that had been done to his brain was another.

_Heimdall, open the portal._

Loki hurried from the palace, mounted his horse and road across the rainbow bridge towards where Heimdall stood guard. He had been called away for absolutely nothing of importance, a fitting for his coronation robes. What did he care how his robes fit when his Woman was fighting for her life on the wandering plane, walking amongst criminals and fire demons.

He had been intent on following right behind her through the portal to Muspelheim, but when his father called he knew he had to go, or risk the old man finding out about Sigyn's journey. Now he had not heard from her or Heimdall in hours, he had spent the entire fitting at the tailor's throat, fighting the urge to jam his scissors into his eyes and hang him with his measuring tape. She was in danger, and nothing would ease him until she was back, safe and sound.

"Heimdall, what has happened to her? It should not be taking this long."

He stopped his horse and hopped off of it in one quick motion, the obedient steed did not need to be tied to anything, Loki stroked his mane affectionately and he turned and trotted back across the bridge towards the palace. Heimdall spoke with his usual tone of indifference.

"She was very much in distress upon arrival, she came very close to death, but was aided by a fire demon, and has retrieved Theoric. She shall return soon."

Loki collapsed on the bridge, laid flat on his back and covered his face with his hands. The idea that she had almost died alone in Muspelheim….It would have been completely his fault, all the way around….He regretted his actions towards Theoric for the first time, and he regretted ever letting her go to clean up his mess.

"It is too late to feel remorse now, your majesty," Heimdall commented "perhaps after this you will think more carefully before you act."

Loki regained his self control and stood up. The domed room glowed with a white light, and Sigyn and Theoric came shooting out of it. Sigyn looked harried, she was covered in the red dirt of the plane and there was a large bruise on her face. She looked at Loki, and noticed him noticing her wound. She quickly healed herself, but he was unappeased and furious, a feeling which subsided at the relief he felt to see his wife alive and well, though a bit battered.

"Go home Loki, I will be there as soon as I get Theoric settled with the healers."

"I shall come with you." He held her hand and she held Theoric's as they began to disappear "Thank you Heimdall."

They reappeared in Theoric's house, in his bedroom. There was evidence of a fight all over the place, broken chairs and scattered papers littered the floor, the glass of the window was burst, and in the fireplace sat the bricks of the chimney, which had apparently collapsed with the force of someone's body hitting the wall. Sigyn looked around in shock and astonishment, her gaze stopping on Loki, who looked sheepishly at the ground.

"I did make quite the mess, didn't I Love."

She rolled her eyes as he repaired the room with a wave of his hand. She shook her head as she floated Theoric from the floor to the bed. She sat next to him on the bed and waved another potion beneath his nose. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked around in earnest surprise.

"Pet?"

He asked, tentatively, as if he were unsure of who she was, or how he knew to call her that. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Yes, it's me Sigyn, Theoric. Do you realize where you are?"

"I am in a room, Pet."

"Yes," she said, cringing a bit at being called that again "But do you realize this is your room, Theoric?"

"Mine? No….Theoric? Is that _my_ name?"

"Yes, honey. You are Theoric, Warrior of Asgard."

"Asgard? Pet…what is Asgard?"

"You are home now, Theoric, that is all that matters. Rest, and _Pet_ will find someone to aid you in remembering yourself and the realm."

He nodded and closed his eyes, a dopey and content smile upon his face. He was in desperate need of a bath, and of something to eat, but these were not tasks she could accomplish with Loki hovering over her shoulder.

"He is even denser now than he was before…I would not have believed it possible."

"Do not poke fun at him Loki, his mind is in a shambles."

"Yes, _Pet_."

He scoffed, stopping as Sigyn shot him a look of pure reproach.

"You think it is funny what you have done to him. Even now you cannot muster some sympathy, some remorse for what you have done. You are absolutely reprehensible in this, please do not make light of it." She turned her eyes back to Theoric. "Call me a healer, and then we can go."

The healer came and gave Theoric a grim diagnosis. His mind would never fully recover from the trauma he had suffered. He could remember his nickname for Sigyn because she had been present on his mind during his very last moments of normal thought, but he would likely never regain his memory about anything else. He was to be housed in an infirmary on an Island off the coast of Asgard city, where severely wounded warriors lived out the remainder of their days. He would be secluded and unheard from. Loki and Sigyn left nothing to chance, wiping the healer's memory of their presence in the room and replacing it with a contrived one of her stumbling across Theoric in a heap at the base of the mountain outside his house, as though he had tumbled from a cliff.

They appeared in their bed room, and Loki conjured her a sweet drink which would cool her body and soothe any nagging pains she felt. She sank into the chair by their bed, and he sat on the ottoman before it, unlacing her boots and pulling them off. She sipped her drink and sighed her head resting on the back of the chair, her eyes closed. Night had fallen, and the room was silent except for the sound of her deep breaths, in and out.

"Would you like a bath, Wife?"

She nodded, and heard the water in the washroom begin to run as she did. She smiled as he undid the intricate lacing of her bodice, and lifted it over her head. The shirt she wore beneath it clung to her now, soaked with sweat. He undid her pants and removed them as well, before lifting her up and carrying her to the tub.

Bubbles filled it, the entire room smelled of the oil she bathed in and rubbed on her skin daily. He stopped the water from running and stood her carefully on the floor of the bathroom so she could climb into the tub herself. She got in with her shirt still on, removing it only when she was sure she was covered in bubbles. She was still too modest to be naked in front of him for very long, and she liked the idea of teasing him. She sank into the water, which was the perfect cold temperature, and smiled a smile of gratitude at her husband.

"I told you I would come home safely."

"The way I hear it, you barely survived," He said, removing his own shoes and his outer coat and shirt, until he wore only his pants. "I was going to come after you."

"I'm glad you did not. There would have been a war if you had seen what happened. I was alone and helpless in the bedchamber of a fire demon, my Loki." She teased him expertly, laying on her innocence, and noticing the vein in his neck begin to throb. She burst suddenly into laughter "You are so jealous over me Loki! I love it."

She flung bubbles at him, he shot her a look and suddenly a wave of water hit her in the face. She wiped it away and laughed even harder, he smiled at her.

"No more of this kind of thing Sigyn, do you hear me?" She nodded and bit her bottom lip, suddenly very interested in washing her legs. He grabbed her ankle as she raised her leg into the air to get her attention "I mean it Sigyn."

"I know." She looked at him and grinned "I'm going to be a mother, remember? I will not do this sort of thing when I am with child, or when I am taking care of the baby….Kiss me."

He happily obliged, leaning over the tub and kissing her softly on the lips.

"Stay in here as long as you wish, Love. I must meet with Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three for training."

"At this hour?"

"Yes. Thor has much on his mind as the coronation draws nearer and training before bed helps him to sleep."

"Let him train alone tonight, Loki…" she whined as she wrapped her wet arms around his bare shoulders. "If I recall correctly you want a child, not to mention the fact that I almost died today."

"Oh now you almost died, a moment ago you were boasting of your safe journey."

"I am a woman; I will never be constant in my descriptions. Go if you must, but do not be gone for long, I intend for us to have our honeymoon during my time off from my studies."

He kissed her again and left the room, pulled on a new shirt and shoes and left the house. Sigyn soaked in her bath for a while longer, then got out, dried off and put on her nightgown. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the stack of books on her night stand, all of them about frost giants. She shook her head at the fact that she had not needed to study this at all, for she had no chance to use it on her quest, just as a paper tucked into the binding of the book fell to the floor. She picked up the tiny folded scrap and opened it out to reveal a page which had been torn from the book.

_Dimi-Giants and Frost Faiiries_

_If a frost giant were to breed with another species of being on Jotenheim, a being displaying the physical features and abilities of a frost giant, but of a more diminutive size would be the result. Such a being is known as a dimi-giant, though there is no evidence that such a being has ever existed. Frost Giants take great pride in their stature, they prize it as their most deadly asset in war, so it stands to reason that a dimi-giant would be a most unwelcome form of offspring. Such a child would probably be disposed of very early in life._

The rest of the page was torn off, and Sigyn wondered why anyone would bother to remove and hide this page. The book said these beings were probably not real, so who would care. She refolded the page, stuck it back into the binding of the book and returned the book to the top of the piled, She thought nothing of it, and resolved to return the books to the library the very next morning, she knew just about all she cared to know about the loathsome frost giants, except maybe how to melt them all one by one.


	11. Chapter 11

She sat in Frigga's tea parlor with Syn, Lofn, and a number of other Asgardian noblewomen, young and old. It was strictly a social event, something Sigyn was loathsome of. She would happily attend a ball or celebration where there would be beautiful gowns, music, dancing, and lively conversation, but strictly social events were tedious to say the least. Some of the women were snide to her, their insinuations about her marriage and her husband thinly veiled, but for the most part these social climbers saw in the princess a new way of getting close to the royal family. She stuck closely to her sisters and nibbled on the fruit a servant had placed before her, sighing deeply as she did.

Only an invitation from the Queen herself could have torn the new wife away from her husband. She assumed the long delay in their honeymoon time had been the reason for his ravenous desire towards her, but in truth he had been unable to get the fact of how close he had come to losing her out of his mind. They had spent two days in bed together, not bothering to leave their room for anyone or anything. On the morning of the third day Loki made the mistake of answering a knock at their front door and taking the invitation that requested Sigyn's presence at this monthly social luncheon. Her legs were unstable and wobbly beneath her when she tried to stand, her back felt the same dull ache as her hips and thighs, and her arms felt heavy. She reluctantly healed the purple and blue bruises on her neck and wrists, wanting desperately to leave them there as a testament to the women of her husband's love. These little pains were blissful to her; they made her feel mature and powerful. She knew Loki would never hurt her intentionally, and she felt a strange sense of pride in knowing that she could make him lose control.

"Sigyn, where is your mind?"

Syn reprimanded her as Sigyn's teacup overflowed from the constant stream of milk she absentmindedly poured into it.

"It is with her husband and her marriage bed from the smile on her face."

Lofn teased and stirred her own cup, not lifting a finger to help Syn clean up the mess, instead smirking with satisfaction at the deep blush that overtook Sigyn's face. Many eyes in the room were on her now, as Lofn's comment had not been whispered, but rather spoken loudly enough for everyone in earshot to hear.

"Syn, I'll take care of it," she waved her hand and the milk and tea mixture lifted from the silk cloth of the table and flew neatly back into the cup "I'm sorry."

She kept her eyes firmly on the table; away from the inquisitive glace Frigga gave her from its other end. She tried to compose herself and shake the wave of embarrassment that came over her, but it was a difficult task. This was a thoroughly unforgiving group, and any impropriety they perceived would quickly become the talk of all of Asgardian society. She raised her eyes slowly, seeing that for the most part the ladies had gone back to their conversations, when suddenly she began to hear the thoughts of one woman in particular.

_She is so very odd. I mean what in the realms does he see in her! Yes she is a beauty but can that really be enough….I always thought Loki the more proper of the princes, even if he is a runt, he always behaves himself regally. If she were not Iwaldi's daughter….then again with that coloring she may not be, everyone knows what a whore Freya was._

Rage was mild compared to the emotions that ran through Sigyn. The woman wore a long white gown, her mousy blonde hair braided into a bun atop her head. She had the golden skin typical of an Asgardian, and whenever she caught the princess' eye, she beamed a saccharine smile. Sigyn wanted to harm her in the worst way, to cause her blood to boil in her veins and her bones to break from one another at the joints. And she had the spells to do it, but she restrained herself. She would get the best of this woman without lifting a finger, and thereby show her exactly what Loki was so drawn to.

She arose from her chair and tapped her teacup to get the attention of all in the room.

"Ladies, I am so sorry to interrupt the conversation, to disrupt your discussion of what I have no doubt are the most important affairs of Asgard, but I would like to take just a moment to commend my most dear Mother in Law, and Queen on this gathering she has so graciously put together for us. Although I am the newest addition to the royal family,"

"Nonsense girl," Frigga interrupted, beaming at her from a head full of compliments "you were born into our family. You have always been our daughter."

"Thank you, _Mother._ I have always felt so. And although there are those who would say that we are not the rightful royal family of Asgard, I seek to reassure all of you that we are indeed your most loving monarchy, and have always acted in your best interests."

"You silly girl! Who would dare question our claim to the throne,? We are Odinsson's, are we not?" Frigga said, laughing loudly "Why for anyone to suggest anything else would be treason, treason indeed!"

"But Mother, our lady in white said to me today that although we were a fine family, we were surely not the rightful rulers of Asgard."

"Which lady in white?"

Frigga turned in her chair and looked around the small parlor, to all the women on the couches and at the tables. Sigyn looked as innocent as she could and gestured in the woman's direction.

"She meant no treason Mother, she simply stated an opinion, surely she is allowed to-"

"She is allowed to keep her mouth shut if she cannot muster any common respect for this house and this family. You, Hyrna, did you speak thusly to my daughter?"

The woman in white stood, fell to her knees and looked terrified at the fury on the face of the Queen. She moved her mouth, but no sound came out.

"I am sure she meant no harm."

"She said it, therefore the harm has been done. Guards."

The woman recoiled and stood to her feet in desperation, hurrying to the Queen, falling on her knees and kissing the hem of her skirts.

"No your majesty, no. NO, NO, NO. The girl lies. She Lies! My Queen I would never speak ill of your family, it is known in all the realms that you have ruled Asgard for all times past and shall rule for all eternity." She cried, shaking her head vigorously and looking up at the Queen. "It is Odin's blood that makes him the Allfather, and all his heirs are rightful King's of Asgard. I Know This Madam. That girl is dark and evil; she lies to make sport of me, to turn our eyes from her clumsiness and shame! She is the one who should be thrown in the dungeons your majesty, not I, who am a most humble and loyal citizen! "

Frigga looked upon the woman, as she begged for her life, with disgust. She snatched away the hem of her dress and kicked the woman away from her.

"You speak of the Princess of Asgard and the Goddess of the Realms when you speak of 'that girl'. You are a wretch, and I find you vile to look upon. I have no doubt of the treason you seethed to my innocent Daughter. You will go to the dungeons and you will stand before the council, who shall sentence you only after they hear my strong recommendation for your banishment. Guards."

The woman wailed and kicked her feet as the guards seized her and pulled her towards the door. The horrified look on her face amused Sigyn, and she decided to end her ruse.

"My Queen, show mercy to the woman, for she spoke too quickly, and showed little self control in her harshness and rash judgments. But I have seen her mind and know she meant no treason by the remark."

As she spoke she permeated the woman's thoughts.

_I give you more consideration in this act than you gave me. I expect your unwavering loyalty and respect from now on. Or I shall deal with you in ways so vile you will wish for the dungeons._

"Very well then Guards, simply remove her from the palace. You are no longer welcome at court."

Hyrna became pale and looked relieved, even though the guards still drug her as they would any prisoner. She felt gratitude and respect towards Sigyn, in absolute awe and terror of what her fate would have been had the girl allowed the Queen to lock her away. The dungeons were dark and cold, all magic and powers were rendered useless there.

"I shall return, Syn, I need a moment."

She stood and left the room just as the atmosphere within it began to return to normal. Once she stepped into the long corridor she let out a silent laugh. As she wandered through the halls of the palace, she thought about simply leaving, but she did not wish to be rude. She felt a strong muscular arm slide around her waist and push her into a nearby wall. Thor kissed her quickly on the lips and smiled, the aroma of strong drink hung heavy on him. She easily pushed him away and stood a few paces back from him, just out of arms reach.

"Thor, what are you doing? Why have you been drinking so early in the day?"

"Early in the day, I had not realized how the time had passed; when I began drinking it was very late in the evening."

He bellowed with laughter at his own joke, and stumbled into the wall. Sigyn was deeply worried, any of the women of Frigga's tea party could wander near them at any moment, and then all of Asgard would know of the condition he was in. She took his face in her hands and tried to get him to focus.

"Thor, you must allow me to take you to your room and put you to bed."

"You needn't ask me twice, sister. You may take me to bed anytime you wish." He placed his arms around her waist and pulled her close "Shall we go now."

"Yes, of course, Thor. But let us go quietly, we must not be seen or heard by anyone."

He placed a finger to his lips and nodded. She moved his hands from her waist and placed one of his arms over her shoulder so that he could steady himself. She could not imagine the amount of liquor he would have to drink to become this inebriated, and she felt badly for him, for the only explanation she could fathom was that he was desperate to calm his nerves. They rounded the corner that led to Thor's bedroom and Sigyn opened the door, leading Thor towards his bed. He fell with a thud to his mattress, and as she began to remove his shoes he grabbed her wrists and pulled her onto his lap.

"What a good sister you are! My brother is a lucky man indeed."

"Let go of me Thor."

"There is no need to protest Sigyn, Loki has always shared with me, and there is no woman in Asgard who would pass up the chance to bed me."

"_**I**_ would, just as I have in the past. Now let go."

He released her arms and looked affronted at her stern refusal. He had never understood why she was so keen on Loki, when she could have any man, and especially when she could have him. It was an entirely unfamiliar experience for someone to be devoted to Loki, to prefer him, to favor him, instead of Thor. He was rebuffed, and even in a drunken haze it made him uneasy. She made sure he was all right, conjured him a large pitcher of crisp and refreshing water and left him to sleep off his stupor. She made her way back to the parlor with haste, with a desperate hope that the guests would be leaving.

She got her wish, for just as she rounded the corner, she saw Frigga speaking with the last of her guests just outside the door to her tea parlor. She waved her goodbyes to her mother in law, ignoring the woman's gesture for her to come over there. She took off running towards the nearest palace exit, hopped into a carriage and sped off for her home in the city. She felt a bit guilty for not properly saying goodbye to her sisters or the Queen, but she was stressed out and wanted to be at home, where she could feel at ease. Their mansion in the city was quickly becoming a safe haven for Sigyn, and the only place she felt truly comfortable.

It was no surprise to her to find the house empty when she arrived, for she had been gone for hours and Loki was often made stir crazy when left alone. She guessed he had found Hugo and took a lesson, or that he was holed up in his tower at the palace, working on a potion or a spell. It did not matter, she knew he would be as ill at ease and restless away from her as she had been away from him, and that meant he would be home soon. It was the late afternoon, and rather than sit idly by waiting for her husband to return, she decided to go about making their house a home, and took up the task of finally furnishing the place and hiring a staff to help them run it. The problem was she had no idea how to go about doing that. Rona would know, but Sigyn had no intention of calling upon Rona for anything during this break from her studies. She thought of Syn, but Syn would no doubt bring Lofn, and then every being in the realm would hear every detail of the inside of the Prince and Princess' mansion. It was a difficult task. She could think of no one else to ask, Sif would come and be discreet, but Sif was useless in matters of domesticity. This was another moment when Sigyn realized the deep void left by her mother's death, she wanted desperately to romanticize their relationship and say she could count on her mother for anything, yet although that was never the case, matters such as these were her forte. The servants and furnishings she had put into place in Iwaldi's palace were still there, very much in order and fashion as they had been when she set them in place all those many years ago.

It made her sad to think of the good qualities her mother possessed, and afraid. She had very little example of what a mother should be, yet she was preparing to have a child. She wanted to be a mother, but she was afraid of unintentionally hurting her children, as Freya had. Yes, Freya loved her daughters, and would have protected them from any hurt she could, but she never learned to put her selfishness aside for anyone, not even her children. Sigyn leaned on the columned doorpost of her living room and looked around, helplessly. She determined that Syn was the lesser of all evils, even if she did bring Lofn along, and therefore proceeded to speak telepathically with her sister.

_Sister darling it is me. _

_Sigyn, must you do that? You know it scares me half to death! Can you nnot send messages like everyone else?_

_I apologize. Are you busy?_

_I am meant to meet Eirik at his family home for supper in few hours, and am preparing for that._

_You can sup with your beau at anytime; the Prince and Princess have need of you right now._

_I am your sister Sigyn, not your subject; you would not think to summon me, would you?_

_I need you Syn, my house is empty and I have no idea how to go about making it a proper home for my husband. _

Even through her thoughts, separated by miles, Sigyn could make herself seem so pitiful and helpless, so endearing, that Syn could not refuse her.

_Fine Sigyn, I shall come, but you will have but one hour and then I shall leave. _

_Of course Sister, that is most reasonable._

Syn came and brought with her Isa, the woman who made sure Iwaldi palace ran like clockwork, as well as all the furniture maker, upholstery, decorator, cook, and maid services she could find on such short notice. They all went to work immediately under Isa's command, after Sigyn gave her a very basic list of what she wanted the house to be like. The furniture makers and decorators measured everything, and showed Sigyn heavy bound leather books which cataloged the inventory of their shops, from which she picked furniture which could be delivered the very same day. The house was a hectic and loud buzz for the next few hours, with Syn getting caught up in the excitement of it all and forgetting the time. She sped out of the door with Isa when she realized it, but by then the maids cooks and servants were well trained and at work, and the furniture men were busy placing tables and chairs and sofas in their places. Sigyn sat on the stairs and marveled at their speed and accuracy; the house looked exactly like her vague imaginings of what it should be. Plush and luxurious, elegant and yet cozy, altogether perfect for them, she hoped Loki thought so too.

He came in the door and smiled at her, before looking around at the commotion and smiling even more. He sat next to her on the stairs and gave her kiss.

"I was starting to think you just didn't like the house." She laughed at him and he kissed her again "This is wonderful."

"Well, they have only furnished this first floor, the second and third are going to take longer; they are going to make custom furniture for our library and study, and the nursery."

His eyes lit up at the mention of it, and they gleamed in the rays of the now setting sun, just as spectacularly as the stone in Sigyn's necklace. She realized again how much he wanted a child, and she wanted to give him one.

"You surprised me Love, thank you. This is a happy moment in an otherwise miserable day."

"What happened?"

"We shall speak of it once we are alone. I will be upstairs if you need me."

He climbed the stairs one by one, a sure sign that his mind was elsewhere for any other time he would have transported himself there with magic. She watched him go for a moment, and considered clearing the house so she could go after him, but thought better of it as she glanced around and saw the men were close to finishing their work.

When they had put everything in its place they bowed before her, and she rewarded them each with a valuable token which bore the likeness of Odin, in addition to the fee for their services. It was difficult to get them to accept her money, they were so honored to do the job for her they felt no payment was needed, but she would not hear of it. They left singing her praises and lavishing her and her house with well wishes. She locked the door after them, inquired in the kitchen when dinner would be ready, and ran up the many flights of stairs to her bedroom. Loki stood in the washroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, looking at himself in the mirror. She sat on the edge of the tub and looked at the face of his reflection, he looked so tired.

"What is it now, Loki?"

"Nothing new I suppose. We run in circles to prepare for this coronation. Thor and Father butt heads like two wild animals and I try to make sense of everything in the mean time. Then Father goes over my arrangements with a fine tooth comb only to realize that everything is in order."

"But surely that is not what has you so down, what else is there?"

"I am worried about Thor; he has not matured at all since he got the news of his succession. I had hoped he would be taking things more seriously by now."

"But I think he is, perhaps he has simply buckled under the pressure."

"He is under no pressure, Sigyn, not yet, not compared to what he will face as king."

"Well he will have you to help him, and your father."

Loki was appreciative of her confidence in him and his family, but he knew better. Thor saw no problem in his behavior or his vanity. A king had to be able to consider the needs of all, and to make sacrifices to assure the needs of his people were met. Thor had never had to sacrifice anything in his life, everything he ever wanted he got, if it was not given to him, he took it by force. Yet, Loki knew that Thor was a good man, with all the qualities of a king, he just wished he would display those qualities more often.

He had expressed his concerns to Odin, and was shocked that he had similar concerns of his own. Unfortunately Thor had walked in on the discussion when he awoke from his stupor and flew into a rage at being spoken of behind his back. He stormed off to the drinking hall once again with Fandral and Volstagg in tow, and left Loki to sooth his Father's rage and his Mother's tears.

But none of it was enough to change Odin's mind. Loki had not only fulfilled his duties and responsibilities, he had fulfilled Thor's, which went sorely neglected by the elder prince since the news of his impending succession, and still was there to soothe his brother's insecurities and battle his insomnia. The two days he spent alone with Sigyn were the longest he had ever gone without speaking to Thor, and he felt responsible for Thor's debauchery and the shame he brought to himself and the family. He knew it would take much to stand in Thor's way when he was on a binge, but he would have done it had he been there, he would do whatever it took to save his brother. His family meant the world to him, no matter how overshadowed he felt at times.

Sigyn listened to all of this with a sympathetic ear. They lay on the bed, her head on his bare chest, and she put her arms around him as he talked and talked of his concerns, and although nothing was solved many of his worries were eased in that moment as he lay perfectly safe in his wife's arms.

* * *

Commotion was the word for the next week, everyone began running at a hurried pace to prepare for the coronation and the feast that would follow it, but Sigyn made sure that Loki made time to help her enjoy the freedom she had bargained with Rona for. She caught him in the corridors of the palace and pulled him into his childhood bedroom for a quick romp, and again she ambushed him in his tower, and again in the library, hidden behind cases and cases of books. She always sent him away with a huge grin plastered across his face, it amused him to see how much bolder she had become in such a short time, and that she was his and his only forever. It almost made the pains of planning the coronation subside….Almost.

She suddenly had the idea to host a dinner party for their families, to give everyone a short break from the hectic pressures they were under. As they sat around the dinner table, Sigyn drummed her fingers before herself, hoping the cook would remember her directions, the particular way Odin liked his wild boar cooked, and the dressing he liked on a plate separate from the rest of his meal. She looked frantically at the kitchen door, wondering what was taking them so long to serve, and if she should intervene with magic. She wanted her in-laws to be impressed by the precision of her staff, and their accommodating demeanor, not that she thought it mattered very much to them, but it was important to her.

She was relieved to see the kitchen door swing open and the trays of food carried out. Frigga smiled knowingly at Sigyn, for this was Odin's favorite meal. Thor cradled his head in his hands, struggling with his brand new sobriety in the brightly lit dining room. Lofn kept trying to get him to drink water, she wanted him alert so she could throw herself at him. Iwaldi glared at her and she put the glass down and suddenly became very interested in the pattern on the china before her. Odin looked at Thor with disdain, and opened his mouth to speak to him.

"A toast, Father, Mother, Sir Iwaldi, Lady Lofn, Thor, thank you all for coming tonight," Loki stood as he interrupted his father "To Sigyn, for getting us all together and reminding us of the importance of eating amongst those we hold dear. We are happily one family now, and I hope this is the first of many dinners together."

Everyone raised their glasses and the mood in the room relaxed as the servants served the food and the family began to eat. Thor gradually regained his boisterous charm and regaled them with a tale of battle, exaggerating his brave exploits only a little. Loki held Sigyn's hand as they sat next to each other. She smiled at him.

"We truly are a happy family tonight."

"Yes and we shall have a brand new member soon, I hope." He kissed her softly "Have you seen a healer yet?"

She shook her head no.

"A healer Sigyn, are you ill?"

Frigga asked as all eyes, even Lofn's, turned with concern to the couple. Loki and Sigyn laughed.

"Absolutely not, do not be alarmed."

"The Woman wishes to have a child, that's all."

"Oh!"

They saw everyone's faces light up, as relief and excitement over took them. They were set to begin a lively chatter on babies when Odin spoke, changing the mood considerably.

"A child, do you think that is wise?"

His face was pale and he looked worried. They could not figure out why, for Sigyn was a Goddess and an Asgardian, so it would take a lot more than childbirth to kill her. They had the wealth of royalty and therefore the means to provide a childhood of plenty to their children. Not to mention the expectation they were under from the kingdom to provide an heir, as Thor's marriage to Sif was far from certain.

"Why should we not Father?"

Odin looked away and then back at Loki, feigning his enthusiasm.

"Forgive me boy, I misspoke out of shock. You are both so very young, it is often hard to remember you are matured and married."

Neither one of them bought his explanation, they exchanged quizzical glances and Loki started to press his father on the matter, but Frigga overtook the conversation, with Thor and Iwaldi happy to help her keep it up.

"How exciting it will be to have a _baby _around the palace again. I have not held a baby in ages, not since Loki was small. I am beyond thrilled at this."

"The child will be the greatest warrior in Asgard, with Iwaldi and Odinsonn blood in its viens."

Odin seemed to flinch a little at Thor's declaration, though only Sigyn noticed it. She took the opportunity to read his mind.

_This could be a disastrous breeding. Why, what species would the child even be? I should never have allowed this marriage to stand -_

He locked eyes with Sigyn and she was startled, for she had been so lost in his thoughts she had not realized his gaze had fallen upon her. He knew what she was doing, and he looked furious.

_If you wish to remain in Asgard, Sigyn, never read my thoughts again._

_What would be so disastrous about our child? What do you mean you do not know what species the child would be?_

_Do not question me girl._

_I Demand to Know_. _What fault do you find in me that you believe would be so devastating to my child?_

_In You? _

They both sat back in their chairs, mouths open in shock, as Sigyn realized Odin was concerned about Loki siring a child, and Odin realized she had not read as much of his mind as he had thought. He sighed in relief to know that his secret was not discovered, and tried to think of a way to ease her mind.

"Sigyn, your mother in law speaks to you."

Iwaldi called to his daughter and she turned her head slowly, pushing a few strands of her dark hair behind her ear as she did, trying to overcome her rattled nerves.

"Yes Frigga, I'm sorry."

"I said what is with the staring match you seem to be having with the King. Clue us in."

"We were thinking of his health, I thought I could get him to be honest with me about how he feels if we kept the conversation between the two of us." She lied quickly and expertly, if Loki had known she was lying he would have been very proud. "Will you all excuse me for a moment? All of a sudden I feel a bit faint."

She stood from her dining table and hurried out of the room so quickly the hem of her gown billowed in the wind as she moved. She walked up the stairs through their still empty library to the double doors that led to a balcony. She leaned on its ledge and placed her face into her hands. She could invade Odin's mind undetected now, but she was afraid to know what he was hiding. It had to be something terrible for him to believe they should not have children. A king wanted his family line to go on no matter what, above all else, in spite of how insane, murderous, evil, or conniving his relatives were. The blood was meant to go on, and on forever, why even bastard children were recognized as royal if no legitimate heir could be provided. In order for Odin to be against Loki having children, he had to know something devastating about his son. Sigyn wondered if everyone knew, if Loki knew, and had just hidden it from her.

"Sigyn, my beloved Goddaughter do not allow the befuddled musings of an old man to make you question everything you have ever known or believed."

"Do not seek to soothe my mind Allfather, tell me the truth."

"There is nothing to tell."

"Then I will ask Loki, for despite his reputation he does not lie to me. Especially not as you do, boldly, to my face."

"I believe my unending affection for you has made you lose some respect for me, but know, girl, that I will be given my honor as your king and the Allfather. You will do as I command, for I rule Asgard." She bowed to him and he touched her gently on the shoulder as she re-stood. "I know you worry for your husband, because he is so much more to you than that. You are more in love than any two beings I have ever seen; you have all ways been devoted to each other. Loki is my son, and so I know firsthand the pains he has suffered, some even at my hand, though unintentionally. I love him more than I can say and I am very glad that he has you in his life. You deserve children; they should witness your relationship and see what marriage should be."

"I feel as though there is a 'however' at the beginning of your next sentence."

"There is," he said with a knowing smile "Loki is about to become the chief counselor to the king of Asgard, he may be the head general of the Army, he will barely have time for you let alone a child. You have your duties as a Goddess, and your studies. You will have all eternity to have children, I am simply asking you to wait."

"I do not wish to speak of this anymore, your majesty," she said with a deep sigh, feeling now more than ever that he was keeping something devastating from her and more importantly from Loki "It may be too late already for us to do what you ask. I shall see a healer tomorrow to find out."


	12. Chapter 12

I know we're twelve chapters in, but I want to thank everybody for the faves and reviews, its so cool that you like the story and it means alot to me since this is my first one. And now back to what you came here for ; )

* * *

She left the mansion early the next morning, without waking Loki or informing any of the staff. She dressed in a simple gown, placed a hooded cloak over herself in an attempt to conceal her identity, and left through the servant's entrance. She did not call for the royal carriage or bother to ride a horse; instead she walked through the foggy streets of the city, unrecognized in her modest attire and unbothered by the citizens who bustled past her. She was careful to keep her face and hands covered, for her brown skin would be a dead giveaway of who she was.

The healing houses sat three in a row on a small side street just off of a busy alley of shops, each one identical and full of Asgardians with minor or major injuries and inquiries about their health. The three story buildings were run by a sweet woman name Myri, who was middle aged and had never married or had children, instead devoting her life to her patients here and on the island of the infirmed. She was notorious for her absolute discretion and loyalty to the privacy of her patients, and so Sigyn desired to speak with her.

She stepped into the foyer of the middle house and removed her hood. Her hair was pinned in a loose bun, putting her striking face and its unusual color on full display of all in the room. The healers stopped abruptly and fell to their knees, she told them to rise quickly so they could tend to their patients. A short squat woman shuffled over, her blonde hair in two long braids that hung over the boxy white gown she wore, the uniform of all the female healers.

"What may I do for your majesty?"

"I have come to see Myri."

The healer nodded and beckoned for the princess to follow her down a long hallway, lined with parchment paper that had charts, reminders, and patient information written on it. She opened a door at the very end in which stood a small bed and armchair, its wall made of dark wood planks which perfectly matched the floors. The healer assured her Myri would be right in, instructed her to make herself comfortable and left the room. Sigyn sat on the bed and became lost in thought.

She remembered Loki's comment when he came into their room the night before that Frigga was convinced the faint feeling she had was a sign of her pregnancy. She remembered sitting on her knees on the bed in front of him as he asked what she had spoken to his father about. She kissed him as a distraction, since she did not want to lie, and began to undress him. Her hands on his pale skin were a contrast she had noticed many times before, but she never considered that there may be a real difference between them until that moment. As he kissed her neck she ran her hands slowly down his back, thinking of how perfect he was and trying to imagine what could be wrong with him. Clearly it was nothing physical, but rather something within him, that disturbed Odin and made him worry for their children.

She remembered the sudden urge she got to defy her godfather as Loki laid her back on the bed and kissed her passionately as he crawled on top of her. She bent her knees so he could come closer to her, and as he did he removed the silver nightgown she wore and ran his hands down her arms to her breasts, to her waist, and eventually to her hips. She had trembled at his touch then, and smiled to herself at the very memory of it as she waited for the healer to enter the room.

As the door opened Sigyn tried to push all thoughts of Loki out of her mind. Myri was more beautiful than Sigyn had imagined her to be with platinum hair and a tall slender flame. Her dark blue eyes sparkled as she smiled and bowed to the goddess. Sigyn nodded her acknowledgement, unable to speak as a result of sudden nervousness.

"What ails you, your majesty?"

"Well as you know I am recently married…"

"Of course, Princess, all in the realm still tell very lively stories of your wedding day."

The healers words were genuine and sweet, in stark contrast to the many other comments she had heard about the circumstances of her marriage. She began to feel a bit less anxious about her visit.

"Yes, well Loki and I want to have a child," she said, sheepishly, Odin's words and thoughts lingering in her mind "But we are ignorant as to the process of it, and there is a chance I may be pregnant already."

"Indeed, you have the glow of a newlywed," Sigyn blushed deeply at the compliment "do not be embarrassed, your majesty. I see so many loveless marriages, so many unwanted children; it is refreshing to hear that you and the prince wish to build a family on love."

She came to Sigyn and gestured for her to lie back on the small bed she sat on. She rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes as the healer pressed firmly on her abdomen and the area of her belly button.

"Well your majesty, you may very well be in the early stages of pregnancy, but it is difficult to say. I would suggest you come back to me in one week and we will know better then."

"But I wanted to tell Loki a definite answer today. Is there no way to find out?"

"A god child is difficult to detect when it is first conceived, but develops quickly. Your belly is flat now, but in a week's time I will be able to feel the child's body beginning to grow. The only time we Asgardian's age quickly is in the womb."

Sigyn nodded her head and smiled. She stood and pulled her cape on as she spoke.

"Well then I shall return in a week, thank you very much Myri, and for your discretion as well."

"Of course, your majesty, although I have another matter to discuss with you."

"Yes of course," Sigyn looked intently at the healer, who suddenly looked worried "is something wrong?"

"Well, in a word yes. Your formerly betrothed was found days ago after having fallen off a mountain. He is alive but his brain is deeply…muddled. However, he asks for you continuously. I know it is much to ask, but would you be willing to visit with him, it could be very beneficial to his treatment."

"It is not much to ask at all, Myri, when shall I go?"

"Do you not need to discuss it with the prince first, maam?"

"No, I can speak for the prince in this matter, he will have no objection."

"Wonderful! Then you are welcome to visit him at your convenience and leisure. He is housed on the island of the infirmed; there is a boat to take visitors across every hour."

"I shall be there at some point this very day."

"Splendid, your majesty. Thank you, your majesty."

* * *

Loki watched from a distance and laughed as Thor and the Warriors Three roughhoused in the gardens of the palace. He noticed that the eyes of the servant girls and maidens lingered on him, that they would whisper to each other and giggle or sigh deeply, and hurry away when he looked in their direction. By then the tale of his deeds at Sigyn's wedding had spread far and wide, and Loki had become a romantic figure to many of the young girls in the kingdom. He found the idea of it very strange and all together different from the way they had viewed him before, they had always found him desirable, but never out of belief in his romanticism. As he looked quizzically after the flustered young women, he heard Thor call to him.

"Brother Come!" He boomed from across the lawn "These so called Warriors Three have posed no challenge to me. I shall fight you, for we are more equally matched."

"Equally matched?" Volstagg scoffed as he reclaimed his stance from being pinned under Thor's boot. "Loki is about as equipped to battle with you as a barmaid."

"No…Loki is quite prettier than most barmaids I've seen." Fandral chimed in, grabbing Hogun's hand and standing "Although I would have to agree that saying he is equally matched to you, Thor, is an exaggeration only a loving brother would make."

Loki could not help nor did he realize the un-amused and disdainful sneer that had crossed his face. His upper lip arched a bit on one side, and his eyes narrowed as he remained seated and tried to control the involuntary twitch in his hand. He did not want to harm Thor's friends; he was trying not to succumb to those impulses anymore. He kept his mouth closed and walked to his brother's side, ignoring the comments and sniggering of Volstagg and Fandral, who had decided to take full advantage of Loki's newfound passivity.

"I would be glad to spar with you brother, but I do not believe I am in a mood suited for this sort of thing. Come, let us go into the council room with Father and let him brief you on the matters of state."

"Very well then."

"Wait just a moment here, you will not spend these, your last few days of freedom in the library! There is fun to be had."

Fandral threw an arm around Thor's shoulders and led him away from Loki, glancing back at him with a smug look on his face.

"Thor, it is very early in the day, you should at least pretend to see to your duties and-"

"It is his duty to mingle with the people, I can think of no better way to know the matters of state. And the people are at the drinking hall, always, even at this hour."

"Indeed, we must have our fun whilst we can, and if we can improve our kingdom whilst we do it, I would call that slaying two bird beast with one stone. Fret not Loki, there shall be all the time in the world for briefing when I am king."

"Yes," Volstagg said, a mocking smile on his face as he looked at Loki "Besides, if he is told of matters of state and how to handle them by Odin, what will he need you for?"

They left the garden together, Hogun meeting Loki's eyes with a look of empathy before bowing to him and following the others. Loki leaned against a nearby tree and shut his eyes tightly. The rage that coursed through him was blinding, it made him feel burning hot, then suddenly very cold. He had given Thor the benefit of the doubt, he had been patient with them, trying desperately each time he became frustrated with his brother to remember Sigyn's words and to keep his promise to think with a cool head. But it was becoming an unreasonable request to say the least. He could no longer sit idly by as the kingdom passed into undeniably unworthy and incapable hands.

Yet almost as soon as he began to think of sabotaging Thor's coronation he felt a deep and devastating guilt. He loved his brother, flaws and all, and would not do anything to intentionally hurt him. Besides, it was Fandral and Volstagg he was angry at, not Thor…but they were peons, only around until Thor became bored of them or they outlived their usefulness. Still, for the time being they were his closest friends and held a strong influence over him, which was most unsettling to Loki. He needed his wife there; he knew she would know what to say to soothe him, to make him see reason. Reason was escaping him now, and he desperately wanted to rein it in.

"My younger son so often looks to have the weight of the universe upon his shoulders."

Frigga stood before him and kissed his forehead, placing her hands on his face. He felt very relieved to see her.

"You look beautiful Mother."

"I cherish your compliments above all Loki, for I know you are sincere."

"There are not many who would call me sincere. Do the mortals not pray to me when they need to keep up their lies?"

"Of course they do, as they should, for you are a gifted liar and very fond of all mischief, but you are also loving to those you deem worthy of it." She held his hands and smiled at him "I am very glad to see you this morning. I miss seeing you every day."

"You do see me everyday Mother."

"Yes, but it is not the same, I miss having you_ here. _You left us so suddenly and unexpectedly, you gave me no warning. You were living here that morning and that night you were gone, forever."

"You intend to make me feel badly. Please do not cry Mother."

"I will not. I promise. But I am lonely here; all this talk of babies makes me realize how much I long for the days when you and Thor were small."

"They are long past, but do not be sad, our child will be here often and will satisfy this longing you feel."

"So she is pregnant!"

Frigga exclaimed with such joy that Loki was a bit startled.

"We do not know yet, calm yourself."

"Perhaps I should call on Sigyn, see how she is feeling, it can be a difficult thing for some. Freya was miserable for every child she bore, except Sigyn. She was joyful with her, everyone remembers that."

"Sigyn is a joy, I suppose…most of the time."

He smiled briefly at the thought of her, but it quickly faded back into a version of the worried look Frigga had noticed on his face before.

"Are you worried for her Loki?"

"No not for her, for Thor."

"Oh yes…Thor. Thor will be fine, Loki, Odin will see to Thor, it is not your place to worry."

"I cannot help it, he is my brother. I wish to see him succeed as King of Asgard, not destroy all that Father has worked so hard to secure, not endanger the lives of our citizens."

"You do not honestly think he would?"

"Not intentionally, but he is so-"

"Self centered, conceited, vain and arrogant." Loki looked shocked, he had never heard her say a bad word about either of them "I am his mother; I know what he is better than you or anyone else does. But I also know what he is capable of, just as I know your capabilities. Both of my sons are great men and good men, despite their youth and the choices it causes them to make which are at times unwise. Thor will be fine Loki. You will see."

* * *

Sigyn made her way through the streets of the city to the water's edge and the dock where the boat awaited her when suddenly she was knocked into by what felt like a solid brick wall. She fell to the ground, unhurt but knocked off balance by the force of the person she had collided with, and scrambled to reposition the hood that had slid slightly off her head and revealed her face.

"Sigyn!" boomed the familiar voice, as Thor reached out a hand to help her up. "What are you doing on the city streets alone at this hour? Where are your guards?"

"I left before they arrived, I wanted privacy, but that is impossible now."

She turned her head to see if there was a single eye on the busy street that was not on her: there was not.

"Privacy was forfeited the moment you married an Odinsonn in Asgard."

"Yes," she laughed "I suppose so…. Where are you off to Thor?"

She glanced behind him and saw the Warriors Three, noticing how anxious Fandral and Volstagg looked to get going on their way.

"Training."

"You are not as good at that as your brother is. Would you like to try another lie or simply tell me the truth?"

"I am going to the drinking hall, Sister."

"Thor, that is unwise and you know it."

"Am I to forgo all pleasure simply to be king?"

"Absolutely not, but you are to forgo your own needs and desires at times in order to do what is right and good for the kingdom. How can the people respect a king they have seen only as their drinking mate?"

"Is that all I am, all I have accomplished, in your eyes?"

He was prepared to be hurt by her having a low opinion of him when he admired her so much.

"My eyes are not what matters here. It is the eyes of your subjects that you should be concerned with." She saw him hang his head and touched his face lovingly "But of course I know better than that Thor."

"I suppose I should behave myself."

"Or at least keep your debauchery behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes of the public." Thor nodded, then looked apprehensively over his shoulder at his friends. Sigyn sought to regain his attention "You should accompany me to the island of the infirmed. Theoric had an accident and has requested my presence at his side."

"And you intend to go? And Loki will allow it?"

"He does not know, but I know that he would not mind, especially if you accompany me, although of course I will go without you… "

"Why should you care if he lives or passes on to Valhalla? He intended to disgrace you."

"I have forgiven him his deeds as I would hope to be forgiven…I am told he is very unwell, and I feel badly for him."

"I suppose I cannot allow you to go there alone, there are all manner of madmen on that island. I shall accompany you Sister."

After Thor bid the Warriors Three farewell, he and Sigyn walked arm in arm to the dock where a golden canoe awaited them. They sat facing each other in the long boat and road through the mist that hung above the sparkling waters. On a clear day the water projected a pristine and perfect mirror image of the city and sky, but on this foggy morning they could only see a shadow of the towers of the infirmary as their small ship glided through, guided by a young man who was trying desperately to look as bold and fearless as he could in the presence of the future king of Asgard.

The island was very small and not very far from the coast of the city. It sat in the very middle of a vast lake, Odin building it just far enough away to be out of sight and mind of the Asgardian people, so they would never have to see the distinctly inglorious fate that befell many of the warriors in his army. The young man jumped out of the canoe and quickly tied it to the island's dock before bowing at the waist and helping Sigyn out. She gave him a generous tip and Thor ruffled his hair affectionately as they made their way up the winding silvery path that led to the door of the infirmary. The guards at the gate bowed to them, the enormous wooden doors swung open and a short man with light brown hair and eyes ushered them inside.

The infirmary was a fortress; Odin had intended to protect these men who had lost the ability to protect themselves while doing battle in his service. He was determined that they would live out the remainder of their days in luxury and comfort. To be denied a warriors death, death on the battlefield, was a disgrace and shame to most soldiers, and although they were beloved and respected by the people, they were ashamed to be alive and no longer of use. But only those who had been spared their minds could reason with this. Many inhabitants of the island were mad, insane even, driven so by the spells and potions they had encountered in battle on other planets. As they walked through the halls of stone and passed room after room of patients, Thor tried not to notice how weak these men were. He recognized some of them from his childhood, when Odin would return from battle and hold feasts of celebration for his entire army. These men would regale Thor and Loki with tales of battle and exploits, which the boys would promptly run to their playroom and reenact. Now they were fragile and frail, most did not know who they were, much less remember the greatness they had accomplished. But Thor knew, and he remembered. He had been inspired by these men and his father to be a great warrior; he had learned and studied the art of war and battle because he wanted to be like them.

'_And now to look upon them in this state….and my father is little better off, he ages, he prepares to relinquish power….What glory is there in this? What point is there to spend your life in battle and end up old, aged, with nothing but memories and sometimes not even that?'_

Sigyn heard these thoughts and glanced at Thor, whose eyes had gone from roaming with curiosity to looking straight ahead as he followed their guide. She wanted to tell him the meaning of it, to make him see that glorifying themselves was never the idea of these men or his father, that they had fought those battles to ensure the safety and glory of Asgard and the realms, but she knew it was a conclusion he had to come to for himself.

"Here he is, your majesties," their guide whispered, stopping at the large window that looked out onto the inner courtyard, where Theoric sat on a bench and looked at a book with a nurse "he is having a lesson now, I will go and fetch him."

He gestured for them to sit on a large tufted sofa in the lounge they stood in. Across from them sat two matching arm chairs, which Theoric and his nurse came and filled.

"Pet?"

He asked, smiling widely at her as he sat down. Sigyn nodded and flashed him a small smile, while the young nurse tried to contain herself in the presence of the princess and her gorgeous brother in law.

"I hear you have been asking for me, and so I come to visit you. What do you need of me?"

"Well, Pet, you are all I remember of my life before. They have told me over and over of who I was, and they have told me we were to be married and that I abandoned you at the altar. I wished to apologize to you, although I do not remember it."

"Clearly," Thor said, glaring a bit at the man as he spoke "But you will address her as 'your majesty' now, for she is royalty. Not even the infirmed are excluded from giving us that respect."

"Thor!" she was shocked he would reprimand Theoric so harshly, when he clearly was not in his right mind. Thor stared blankly at her and then shrugged his shoulders as though he did nothing wrong. "Theoric, all is forgiven, there is no need to apologize."

"I have no memory of why I left you, but I have remembered some of my feelings toward you. I was very fond of you I think."

"I suppose…but surely you did not ask me here simply to muse on that subject? Did you need me Theoric?"

"I wish to regain my memory, but the only thoughts I have of before my fall are of you and times we spent together…this very morning I recalled the garden we were to be married in…and…."

His voice trailed off and he leaned back in his chair, his head fell to his chest, as though he had suddenly fallen asleep in mid sentence. The nurse sprang into action, slapping him hard across the face and running a waking potion under his nostrils. He gasped for air as he awoke, looked bewildered around the room and grabbed the nurse's arm.

"Who are you, who are these people? Where am I? I know nothing…..I know nothing!"

"Shh, all will be revealed to you, come where we can speak alone together."

He looked terrified as he took her hand and stood, walking slowly out of the room. He turned back once to look at Sigyn and Thor, trying to remember their faces.

"Pet?"

He tried to go back to her, but the nurse held his arm and continued to lead him out of the room. Sigyn sat in her chair, in shock at his condition. Thor looked at the look of concern on her face and grinned.

"Are you aiming to be goddess of compassion as well?"

"No. But…..He is so unwell."

"Well then, he is in the right place, is he not? They shall keep him comfortable and he will be cared for, he is safe here."

"I know. You are right but still, it is a sad fate."

"Perhaps he deserves it, for what he has done."

Thor stood and crossed the room before stepping out into the inner courtyard to speak with some of the more able bodied patients about sporting and battle formations. They roared with laughter and were very proud to have the future king of Asgard there in their midst, speaking with them as though they were old friends. Sigyn remained in her chair and was startled by a long thin fingered hand touching her shoulder. She was relieved to see the face of an older woman, hair in one long braid, eyes brown and dull, until she focused on the smile she wore. Her demeanor seemed friendly enough, but her smile was unsettling, menacing even.

"I am Yordis; I see to the workings of this infirmary your majesty, your most esteemed goddesship."

"Sigyn is fine, noble lady. I was here to visit Theoric, my former betrothed."

"Ah yes…he asks of nothing but you, day in and out, that is during his moments of clarity. Each time he begins to make progress, he slips into a sleep and awakens with his mind completely wiped away again. Everything is forgotten except you. What a woman you must be!"

"I am no such, my lady, but I cherish the compliment."

"I believe I can help Theoric. If he were able to be alone with you, if he could speak to you and you alone, perhaps he could regain his mind back…maybe not the memories but at least his ability to function."

"I have just spoken with him; he was no better off when he left me."

"But there were others here, and he had exerted himself with a long walk just before you arrived. I would like for the two of you to sit alone together, in his room, and speak of the past. I believe he will retain it if you speak it to him."

"I cannot agree to that without speaking to my husband. I would love to help him, to see him restored to his former glory, but to spend time alone in the room of another man is something I must discuss with Loki before undertaking, especially when the man is my former betrothed."

"Of course princess, that is very proper indeed. Please speak to your husband and let me know what he says."

The ride back in the canoe was lively, with Thor giving a very animated description of his conversation and sport with the patients. He seemed happy and excited, and Sigyn could not help but laugh and chime in the conversation. Thor had an infectious spirit, much like her own, and she had always had fun with him. They walked the streets together arm in arm, stopping here and there to buy things or watch a street performer. It was the late afternoon when they reached the gate of the mansion, and Sigyn yawned.

"I was up before the suns this morning, Brother."

"Is the woman sure she could not say you were pregnant?"

"I asked her the very same question, but she said we shall not know for a week," she leaned on the gate post and looked at Thor "you will be a fine uncle to the child, I think. Boy or girl?"

"Which does Loki want?"

"Both."

Thor erupted with laughter to Sigyn's bewilderment, for she was serious.

"I have no doubt….He is very lucky to have you Sigyn. I want you- What you have….with Sif I suppose."

Thor looked quickly at her to see if she had heard him, she did not look disturbed or surprised, and he figured he had played it off well.

"What Loki and I have is unique to say the least, but at its most basic it is love, and that is something I believe we are all entitled to. I know how hard it can seem to find it, Thor, but it always finds a way to us if we seek it."

"But what you have is effortless, I do not wish to search for love high and low, I want it just to be there, waiting for me."

"Effortless? We face obstacles at every turn of our relationship!"

"But you face them together. The rest of us do it very much alone." He looked down and she hugged him, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him "I am glad to have run into you today."

"You will never be alone as long as we are here. We would do anything for you Thor."

As his carriage rounded the corner Loki saw their embrace, saw Thor kiss her forehead, and saw Sigyn beaming up at him, from the window. His eyes narrowed as he saw how Thor gripped her back, how he was reluctant to let her go even as she let her arms fall to her side. The carriage halted and Loki stepped out before the footman had time to open his door. Sigyn grinned at him and flung herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her as she kissed him over and over again. He couldn't help but smile, and then grin broadly as he glanced in Thor's direction and saw the look of discomfort on his face.

"What has gotten into you Woman?"

He held her face and she smiled up at him.

"I missed you today." She admitted, running her hands down the leather of his vest. "I have much to tell you."

"I have no doubt….Hello Thor, what are you doing here?"

"Sigyn and I spent the morning together. She persuaded me away from the drinking hall."

"Did she?"

Sigyn saw the look on his face, and could see his mind working behind it. She wanted to kiss him again to reassure him, but she also resented his jealousy and mistrust.

"Yes. She shall tell you all about it. Now if you'll excuse me, I am starved, and a bit bored."

He climbed into the carriage and looked out of the window at them.

"No by all means Thor, take our carriage home, we wouldn't dream of having you walk."

Thor bellowed with laughter at Loki's sarcasm as the carriage pulled off. Loki stared after it for a moment, scowling. Sigyn slid her hand into his and led him into their house. He collapsed onto the couch, his long body taking up the entire length of it, his legs dangling over the arm. She took off her cloak and shoes and sat on his lap with her legs on either side of him. She laid her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck as she looked up at him.

"I saw Myri the healer very early this morning. I will know in a week if I am with child."

"Wonderful."

"I also went to visit Theoric."

"Did you?"

"Yes…Are you angry?"

"A little."

"Thor was with me."

"Is that meant to make me more or less angry?"

"Less, my Loki. I had no intentions of visiting him but the healer told me he kept asking for me, then I ran into Thor and persuaded him to come with me rather than go off drinking."

"You only helped to delay the inevitable. I have come to the conclusion that Thor will do two things well in life; battle and drink."

"Loki, that is cruel. You did not see Thor with the patients today, he was magnificent. He is capable of such compassion and empathy. I think if we can help him tap into that he will make a fine king."

"Perhaps…maybe, who can say for sure?" He looked at her and suddenly felt very foolish for the twinges of jealousy he had felt at their embrace for she would never be unfaithful, and she did not want anyone but her husband. "How is Theoric?"

"Very unwell Loki, his mind is gone…he makes progress then he lapses into a type of sleep and looses it all over again. There is a woman who works there who wishes me to spend time with him alone, but I told her I would have to ask you."

"Absolutely not, you said he has no mind, he is capable of anything."

"I understand."

"Sigyn, I said n-" He stopped abruptly when he realized that she was not arguing with him "What?"

"I said I understand." She laughed at his shocked expression "I will obey you in this, my Loki."

He kissed her passionately and playfully, biting her lips and teasing her tongue with his. She began to untie the lacings of his shirt; she wanted to touch his skin, unobstructed by clothes. He was more than happy to oblige her, content to let her kisses and her touch help him forget about the frustrations and annoyances he had endured that day. It was hard not to slide her out of her dress, but he knew how modest she was and the servants were nearby. Loki closed and locked the door to the living room with a flick of his hand, as Sigyn finally got his shirt undone. She pulled it off him and tossed it to the floor, running her hands slowly down the sides of his abdomen to his hips. She sat back and looked at his body, he grinned at her, she was ogling him and he loved it. She wanted him now like he wanted her all the time. She was hungry for him and he knew it.

Her kisses and her touch, and the feeling of being inside her were more than enough to make him forget his worries about everything else. As he lay breathless on the couch, with her head resting on his chest she could hear the speed of his heartbeat. She smiled and softly bit his chest, which made him laugh.

It was one of the last moments of normalcy, happiness, and joy they would ever have. Many things were about to happen that would change their lives and the lives of everyone they loved forever, yet as they laid intertwined in each other on their sofa, they could not imagine what was to come. The story of their love and devotion was about to be totally overshadowed by a tale of betrayal, and devastating loss, and it all began on the morning of Thor's coronation...


	13. Chapter 13

On that morning, the suns of Asgard seemed to shine brighter, making everything in the realm gleam golden and shimmer brightly. The light shone into the window of Sigyn and Loki's bedroom, waking them with its glow and warmth. He slept with his arms wrapped around her, his hands resting on her belly. She smiled and knocked his hand away, sitting up and stretching.

"There is no rush Sigyn, he will not be crowned until noon."

"I promised to visit with Myri this morning."

"About the baby?"

"I believe she wishes to speak to me of Theoric."

"Will I ever be free of that name? Will you ever be done with him?"

"I am bound to him forever because of the condition he is in…which if I recall correctly is a resu-"

"'Result of my actions', I know, I heard the last time." He grabbed her arm and she turned to look at him "But you gave me your word."

"I have not broken my promise. I mean to meet with Myri in the city, Theoric will not be there….And have you considered that I do this for you, that if Theoric recovers we can finally move on from him."

"And if he does not recover, what will you do then?_ I_ have moved on. He was never a factor in my life. I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"I hate when you speak like that."

She said to his back as he walked into their washroom and ran the shower. She walked over to her wardrobe and looked at the long elaborate gown Frigga had chosen for her to wear to the coronation. It was her color, royal blue, and was intricately embroidered with silver thread. She was to wear her crown, encrusted with diamonds and sapphires that sparkled even in dim candlelight. Her head hurt at the very thought of putting the heavy thing on, but then she thought of Loki's helmet and grinned. She could never keep a straight face when he wore that thing. What had possessed Odin to give him a crown of long golden horns was beyond her, the only thing sillier in her mind was the winged helmet Thor had to wear. She leaned on the door of her wardrobe as she laughed at the thought of the two of them standing together in their armor, how proud and noble they would think themselves, when all she would see were two men in ridiculous, animal like headgear.

"It is going to be a long day."

She whispered to herself as she walked into the washroom and ran herself a bath.

* * *

Iwaldi walked into Odin's study and gave a small bow to his friend. He could not imagine what could be so important that the king would summon him on such a momentous day as this, but Odin was far more than his king, they were as close as brothers, and he would come whenever he was called.

"Wonderful to see you old friend, your presence always calms the frenzy."

"The frenzy for you has yet to begin. Thor's reign shall be an eventful one to say the least, and you will have the dubious task of trying to advise him."

"Loki shall be his advisor; I am to retire fully…to sleep for a while."

"Well deserved. But surely when you wake you will make Loki general and guide _your_ son in his rule?"

"_My son_ will guide my son, and they will mend the realms, preserve the peace, and reach glories you and I have yet to even dream of."

Iwaldi grinned and nodded, believing wholeheartedly in the capabilities of the princes who he had watched grow into exceptional men. He was as proud of them as their father, for they were as dear to him as the sons he'd never had.

"So what have you summoned me for, old friend?"

"As a matter of fact it is Loki and Sigyn, and the child she is expecting."

"She is expecting? Why, she told me just yesterday that it would still be days before she could know for sure!"

"She is under that impression because of me. I asked Myri the healer to stall her knowledge of the fact, but there is no doubt, she is with child."

"You asked the healer to stall her.…Why?" Iwaldi asked, confused and worried for his daughter, almost afraid to know Odin's reasoning behind his deception "What do you know of the child?"

"Nothing, of course. There is no precedent for this!"

"You don't think it will be…."

"Of course not! Loki has never once displayed those traits, there are times when I forget that he is anything other than Asgardian…but there is no way to be certain that the child would be normal."

"You must tell them Odin. The child could be born a," Iwaldi glanced apprehensively over his shoulder and whispered when he was certain they were alone "_frost giant_."

"Yes that is possible."

"They must know! Sigyn will be undone by that, and Loki….he would have every reason to believe she was unfaithful, with another species no less. It would be a disaster; the child would have to be destroyed."

"I have considered all of this, but I needed to hear your thoughts on the matter before I acted."

"What action do you consider?"

"They are very young and very much in love," Odin sank into his armchair across from his friend and closed his tired eyes "there will be many other children….According to the healer this child is developed enough now to examine and determine its species."

"What of Sigyn? How do you propose to take the child without her knowledge?"

"She will lose the child, as the mortal women sometimes do."

"The mortal women often die during that unfortunate happening; shall we risk Sigyn's life for this experiment?"

He did not need to shout or move to express his anger, his tone and his eyes revealed the emotion.

"I do what I believe to be best for all, but I can assure you of Sigyn's safety."

"You can do nothing of the kind. And what of her sadness? She will grieve the child, deeply. "

"She will never know about it. What other choice do I have?"

"Tell Loki the truth, and then he and Sigyn can make this decision for themselves."

"I intend to tell Loki everything when the time is right."

"You have had ions to tell him. You are afraid to admit your lies, and I understand that, but now you risk my daughter's life and well being to keep them quiet."

"I have lied, and am reluctant to take away everything my son has ever known or believed himself to be. But I am also the king of Asg-"

"You will cease to be king of anything at all if my daughter is harmed in this. I will bring Asgard down around your ears if necessary."

He did not make idle threats or flex his still considerable muscles. He simply stated the truth. Iwaldi was never afraid of Odin's wrath and power; he would stand between any being, man, or beast, and his honor without a thought of fear or apprehension. His courage was more than doubled now, for his daughter was at stake.

"I understand well, friend. I would have kept you ignorant of this plan if I could, but I felt you more than deserved to know, and to try and stop me."

"I beg you to consider the other way."

"This day is too important for Thor and Asgard to be overshadowed by my revelation about Loki…and the matter of the child cannot wait, for Sigyn will begin to show within days."

"You have a way of rationalizing everything. I hope you are as wise and all knowing as you believe yourself to be, for otherwise our children and our descendents will pay the price."

Iwaldi stood and left the room, forgetting all formality as he did so. He did not wait to hear anymore of the king's words or to be excused from his presence. He made his way home with a considerable weight on his shoulders and a deep sense of dread at the thought of running into his daughter at the coronation.

* * *

Sigyn dressed in her gown and rode in the royal carriage through the streets of the city. She would have loved to go meet with Myri in disguise once again, but knew her time was not her own today. She took the footman's hand and descended the steps of her carriage, walking up the path to the middle healing house with the eyes of every female patient and healer coveting her gown and the crown she carried in her hand. She made her way to the very same room she waited in during her last visit, but instead of sitting nervously on the bed, she looked around the room. There were scrolls on the desk, written in a language Sigyn did not recognize. She did however notice a group of hand drawn images that seemed to be of a deformed mutated child. She reached to examine the picture more closely just as the door to the room opened.

"That does not concern you, your majesty."

Myri said in a tone more stern than Sigyn had thought her capable of. She stepped away from the desk and turned to face Myri with the look of a guilty child on her face.

"I apologize, I did not mean to pry, I was just curious"

"You have much more important matters to contemplate, I'm sure. Especially today," she would not look in Sigyn's eyes, as she had done so effortlessly before, and it caused the young princess to worry that she had deeply offended the healer with her nosiness "will you please sit, I promise not to keep you long."

"I apologize again," she said with the utmost sincerity as she sat on the bed "I hope you are not too offended, and please take as much of my time as you need, the coronation is not until later in the day."

Myri crossed the room and prepared a kettle and tea with her back turned to Sigyn. As she crushed leaves and herbs together she sighed deeply, hesitating with each ingredient, desperate to warn the sweet young lady of what was about to be done to her.

"Sip this tea, your majesty," Myri said extending a golden teacup to Sigyn, still unable to look into those bright and trusting eyes. "And I will tell you of Yordis' idea for Theoric's treatment."

Sigyn could not resist the sweetness of the tea, it was one of the best tasting drinks she had ever had. It took much for her to sip it daintily, for she wanted to gulp it down and ask for another. She finished the cup and sat it next to her on the bed. Myri watched her drink, still standing and not speaking at all.

"What is the plan? I spoke briefly with Yordis during my visit with Theoric but I must tell you that Loki" she stopped for a moment as a sharp pain, more vivid than any pain she had ever felt before shot through her stomach, back, and thighs. It seemed to come and go quickly, but she could not shake the feeling of it, it unsettled her "Oh."

"Are you alright, your majesty?"

"No…Well, I'm not sure." She spoke slowly, unsure of how to describe what had happened "I think I'm fine, it was just so strange –"

She was again interrupted by a jolt of pain, this one longer and more sustained than the last. She felt as though her innards were on fire, and were sliding down her body. She doubled over and lost her balance, falling head first from the bed to the floor.

"Sigyn!"

"Please! Help Me!" She managed to beg between cries of pain. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she fought to stay conscious and not go into hysterics "Help Me!"

Myri cradled the princess' head in her arms; it was the only comfort she could offer her. She was grateful beyond words when the young woman finally passed out, and as she laid her head on a pillow she wiped away her own tears. A pool of blood soaked the floor and much of the gown below Sigyn's waist, and Myri lifted the skirts of the gown to find the specimen she needed.

And there it laid, a tiny little baby, about half the size of the hand Myri used to lift it gently from the bloody mess it laid lifeless in. She looked at it more closely as she wiped it clean with a damp cloth, breaking down into loud deep sobs as the features of the child became clearer. Though it was very young it was plain to see the child had deeply black hair and the golden skin tone of an Asgardian. Myri had told herself that it would all be worth it, the lies, the deception, the complete violation of Sigyn's trust, if she could spare her the pain of having a deformed child, but now none of it seemed worth it. She resigned herself to live with the guilt as she wrapped the baby's body in clean linen cloths and placed it into a small silver box on her desk, then she cast a spell to clean up the blood and restore Sigyn's dress to its original state. No one would ever know what had happened, or that Sigyn had ever been pregnant at all, least of all Sigyn herself.

* * *

"Hunger pains? Really?"

She sat up on the bed and took the tray of fruit that the short stout nurse offered her. The nurse nodded and smiled, informing her she could leave just as soon as she finished eating.

"Myri said it is common among nobles, you often go long periods of time and forget to eat."

"I suppose, but they were so _painful_…will Myri come back into the room? We did not get a chance to speak."

"She is gone to attend to more serious patients, she wishes you to rest for a bit, eat, and she will speak with you on another day. Your footman and carriage await, the coronation will begin shortly.

* * *

Loki stood fully dressed in his armor and helmet waiting on the stairs of the great hall of the palace. The hall was filled with people, all gazing at the royal family and the Warriors Three, and anticipating Thor's arrival. Golden curtains wavered in the small wind that breezed through the corridor, and he sighed, unable to deny the small knot of excitement in his stomach. He was prepared to enjoy the day's festivities as best he could, and to try not to worry about all the doubts that plagued him. Thor could deny his nerves all he wanted, but Loki knew better, his older brother was beginning to understand the weight of being a king, and now he was eager to prove himself capable of bearing it. Loki's eyes scanned the hall quickly and he frowned, for Sigyn was nowhere in sight. She should have been on the stairs at his side, but he tried not to dwell on it, for the thought of her tending to Theoric instead of tending to her duties as princess made his blood boil.

The crowded hall erupted with cheers and applause as Thor burst through the doors and sauntered down the aisle, wielding Mjolnir and egging the crowd on to cheer louder as he came. Loki noticed Sigyn slip in through the side entrance and lean on a nearby column. He caught her eye and beckoned for her to come forward, she shook her head no and mouthed an apology to him. She looked tired, and her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, instead of pinned into the tight bun it had been in when she left their house. She began clap along with the rest of the crowd, but Loki noticed her lose balance a bit as she let go of the column. She leaned against it again and recovered just as Odin began to recite the Ruling Oath to Thor, who kneeled before him with a look of complete confidence across his face. Odin on the other hand looked proud, but deeply tired. Frigga looked lovingly at her son and blushed at his wink, Loki however missed the chance to meet his brother's eyes, instead focusing on Sigyn and wondering what was wrong with her. Thor was unaffected by it, but Sif noticed the disinterested look on Loki's face, and mistook it for jealousy.

In addition to the weakness she felt in her legs, Sigyn was having difficulty concentrating. With the hall so full of people her mind was inundated with their thoughts, which she wanted desperately to ignore. It took a great deal of effort to focus on anything else, but suddenly she began to hear thoughts that sounded unlike any of the others.

_Yes we shall retrieve it, we are very near now_

_We must return the casket to our king_

_And reclaim our place as the most feared beings in the realms_

Her mouth hung open at the idea of it, but there was no time to figure it out now. Odin stopped in mid sentence as Sigyn invaded his mind with her voice.

'_Frost giants have breached the gate, they seek to steal the casket.'_

Odin did not see Sigyn in the room, but looked straight ahead of him as the clarity of her voice permeated his thoughts.

"Frost giants!"

He said to no one in particular, though as soon as the words were out of his mouth a hush fell over the entire hall. Did he mean frost giants were near? Did he mean beware frost giants? Should they be concerned that his mind had wandered to such a random thought in the midst of giving Thor the oath? All these thoughts crossed the minds of the people as Odin banged his staff on the floor and beckoned for the princes to follow him as he walked away from the throne and out of the hall. Little did anyone know that far below their feet Odin's destroyer was making short work of the three unwise frost giants who had come to steal the Casket of Ancient Winters.

"Good citizens, it seems some drastic event has called our king and princes attentions away. You should all return to your homes, and the coronation will be done on another day."

Frigga smiled broadly, in the hopes of assuaging the worried looks of the people in the hall. The palace guards ushered them out, and she took a seat on the stairs.

"Are you all right, my queen?"

Sif asked, kneeling before her and taking her hand.

"I'm fine dear, only I wish we could pull off just one festivity without a calamity ensuing..."


	14. Chapter 14

A loud crashing sound from the dining hall caused Sif and the Warriors Three to cease in their lively discussion of the days events and hurry out of the hall, leaving Sigyn and Frigga to sit on the stairs in awe of the vastness and emptiness of the enormous room they found themselves in. Frigga's eyes betrayed the worry in her heart and mind, though she patted Sigyn's hand reassuringly and said things that were a great comfort to her daughter's ears. It took everything she had to stay seated there, she was tempted to forget the dizziness and fatigue she felt and run to the hall with the warriors, but she thought better of it; if she could stagger her way there, she was too weak to be of any use at all.

"I know you worry for them just as I do, Mother. But you are a darling to try and comfort me."

"_Frost Giants. _It is truly unfathomable…the audacity of them. But surely they have been vanquished by now, for there have always been measures in place for such a breach as this…though I never thought…."

Her voice cracked under the same worry that was evident in her eyes, and suddenly Sigyn became deeply aware of the terror this event had caused her. Everyone in the realm had reason to be unsettled but it seemed that the situation was under control, which made Frigga's anxiousness seem a bit out of place…unless she knew something Sigyn did not.

"Are you all right, Mother?"

"Yes, but I worry for Loki…and Thor….Odin can care for himself." She smiled broadly, feigning playfulness in the hopes of ending the conversation before she said too much. "My boys are young and reckless; this act of defiance against Asgard will not sit well with either of them."

"You do indeed know your sons."

"Of course; they are the lights of my world…both of them. You will understand it soon." She patted her daughters belly and smiled. "You are pregnant, are you not?"

"Actually I do not yet know. I fainted in the healer's office before she had a chance to tell me. When I awoke she had gone to attend to more urgent matters."

"What could be more urgent than the wellbeing of the Princess of Asgard?"

"I know not," she replied, wondering that for the first time although it made perfect sense "but she determined my fainting was due to hunger pains."

"Hunger pains? You are a Goddess of the Realm; you would not get hunger pains. Why, it takes weeks of starvation for them to develop in an average Asgardian! We shall go see this woman together just as soon as this frost giant nonsense is resolved!"

As they stood to leave the hall, dizziness made Sigyn stumble a bit. Frigga caught her arm and helped guide her across the great room to the palace corridor. As they stepped out a child with dark blond hair threw himself into Sigyn's arms. She beamed down at him, and even in the midst of the loud hall, still crowded with citizens waiting to be escorted home, she was very glad to see Justus.

"Hello Justus, you have grown a whole foot since I saw you last."

"Oh, your most Royal Majesty, most Supreme Goddess of the Realm, I am forever in your debt," he said, letting go of their embrace and kneeling with adorable solemnity before her "every good thing in my life is a direct result of your kindness to me. Hugo has taught me much of sorcery, and your father has made me his ward, I live at his palace as a guest, as do my parents. We are no longer servants and it is all because of you. You have my undying loyalty forever."

Sigyn grinned down at him, signaling for him to rise and ruffling his hair as he did so. Frigga stood back, a bit confused by the boy's mature display of gratitude and respect. His dutiful and serious nature reminded her of Loki at that age. As Sigyn went to touch his cheek, she stumbled again, dizziness overtaking her once more.

"Is your majesty unwell?"

"No sweet heart."

"You are not well maam…let me go fetch my Grandmother, she is a healer and will be able to help you."

"Wonderful idea child, do that," Frigga commanded as she placed Sigyn's arm over her shoulder and began to lead her out of the crowded hall "She will be resting in the healing room."

* * *

Loki appeared behind a column in the feast hall just in time to see Thor destroy the table and the food laid upon it with a sweep of his hand, sending the servants into a scramble as he did so. He was unsure of what to say to his brother after the argument he had just had with their father, Thor was not at all used to being on the receiving end of Odin's displeasure, or having to stomach his thinly veiled insults and insinuations of unworthiness, and if his actions were any indication, he was not handling it well. Loki stepped out into full view to stand in the room, now empty except for himself and his brother.

"It is unwise to be in my company right now, brother."

"Who said I was wise?"

He lent a sympathetic ear to his brother's feelings, as usual, only this time there was a secret in his heart. He knew far more than he let on about how and why the frost giants had appeared in Asgard. Thor simply was not ready to succeed to the throne, and if Odin was unwilling to stop it, Loki had to act. But Thor could never know, he would never understand, let alone appreciate the reasoning behind his actions. Besides, the idiot frost giants were meant to cause a bit of ruckus in the main hall, not to go on a suicide mission to steal the casket…Loki had never intended for them to breach the inner depths of the palace. He had to agree with Thor -to a certain degree- that going to war with them would teach the entire degenerate race not to be so presumptuous in the future, to think they could so easily cross the Asgardians and face no consequence. However he was far more inclined to trust the Allfather's good judgment, to let this offense slide to preserve the peace.

It was the guilt he felt at ruining his brother's day, and at causing the very incident that had led to his quarrel with Odin, coupled with the loyalty he felt towards him, that led Loki to reluctantly accompany Thor on his journey to Jotenheim. The atmosphere was dark, freezing cold and menacing. It felt as though every step the group took was being watched, though the Jotun remained well hidden by the jagged pillars of ice that made up much of the landscape of their planet. Thor had given a rousing speech back in the feast hall to get the Warrior's Three and Sif to accompany him, using the same confidence to strut past Heimdall and into the portal when Loki was unable to sway the gatekeeper with words. It didn't take long to find the Jotun guards, and then come face to face with Laufey himself. The frost giants were eight feet tall, and the oddest shade of blue, with glowing red eyes that belied the evil within their icy souls. These beings were beings of war, they could reason with nothing other than conquest, and had been plotting their revenge on Odin and his beloved Asgard for years. The only thing that kept them at bay was fear of his notoriously terrible wrath; he could lay waste to their entire planet from the comfort of his throne if he wished. They had decided their survival depended on compliance with his terms, and though they had surrendered, they never let go of the hope of retrieving their casket and once again using it to conquer the realms.

It was evident from the moment Thor opened his mouth to speak to Laufey, the Jotun king that he was beyond reason. He craved war and battle, he wanted it, he would gladly disregard the safety and wellbeing of his brother, his friends, even himself, just for a taste of the thrill and excitement battle offered him. Loki noticed his bloodlust and was appalled, though the others found it admirable, and took the fear it roused in them as a sign of his worthiness to lead, for he seemed fearless. It took every trick of diplomacy Loki could think of to deal with the king, and not because the king was unwilling to relent, but because Thor did not wish for a diplomatic answer. He reminded his brother to remember his place, and Loki suddenly did; always next to and slightly behind Thor, always in his not inconsiderable shadow.

But he had no time to dwell on it, for the king had shown mercy on their invasion, and given them the opportunity to leave with their lives and the peace treaty still intact. Even Thor recognized the way out, but all hope for a quick and tidy end to this quest was lost in the mutterings of a Jotun foot soldier. Loki's amazement at the stupidity of the comment and the consequences it would bring could be summed up in one word.

"Damn."

The battle was on, and the Asgardian's made short work of the Frost Giants for a while, Thor with his brute force and Mjolnir, Loki with his magic and skill for execution, and the warriors with their combat skill. The tide began to turn however, when the Asgardians began to feel tired, and the Jotun legions seemed to replenish just as quickly as they were cut down, emerging from the jagged landscape in numbers far greater than their own. Volstagg made the grievous mistake of allowing his opponent to touch his bare skin, as he marveled at his now mortified forearm he called a word of warning to his comrades:

"Don't let them grab hold of you!"

He numbed his pain with drink and soldiered on. It was a battle for the ages, Loki thought to himself, they would surely be glorified in the end, if they survived…

And then he saw Sif leap into the air to protect Volstagg from an unexpected attack, and watched in horror as Fandral protected himself with a broken sword, his mouth hanging open in horror as the man was suddenly run through by an enormous shard of ice, conjured by the giant he had bested. He rushed to the aid of his fellow warrior, all thoughts of the taunts and ridicule he had suffered at his hand flew from his mind. They were brothers in arms in this battle, and he would do all he could to protect him. He killed the giants nearby with precision; the daggers he aimed at them hit their mark and felled the brutes with ease. Loki stood next to the now impaled Fandral and racked his mind for a spell, any spell, to help the man, who was quickly losing consciousness and blood.

'_Sigyn if there was ever a time for you to read my mind, this would be it…'_

She would know if anyone would, and she would know how to make him understand, but she did not respond: the woman was too loyal and honest for her own good sometimes. He did not have time to try again, for the giants were advancing on them, and they looked bent on finishing Fandral off. He fought them off one by one, as Volstagg came to comfort his friend and raise him off of the ice shard that had pierced his body. Loki sought to slit the throat of his opponent, who grabbed his glove covered wrists, and the two struggled until he slid his hands free of the gloves and the grasp. The frost giant was pleased to see the mistake of the tricky Asgardian prince, and seized the opportunity to grab his slender arm and freeze him to death.

Loki's eyes widened as he tried to pull away, he cringed at the sensation, the unbelievable coldness that coursed through his arm, the discomfort it caused him. He waited for the pain of it to come. He waited for it to overtake him; he looked down at his arm, wondering why the giant lingered there, why he had not killed him, why the touch had not killed him, yet.

The flesh did not blacken, it did not wither, and it did not freeze. The touch of the frost giant had no negative effect on him what so ever, he looked at the blueness of his arm, his look of astonishment mirrored on the face of his glacial opponent.

Loki took the opportunity to strike while the brute's guard was down, kicking him in the chest and sending him flying across the field. He was still thrown by his condition, as he held his forearm before his eyes, watching in awe as his flesh went instantly back to normal from the icy blue, the same icy blue of the frost giants themselves. Disbelief was not the word for what he felt, nor was confusion; he could not fathom what this phenomenon meant, and was not sure that he wanted to.

* * *

"Better safe than sorry, my Daughter."

Said the queen in response to Sigyn's protests and assertions that there was no need for a healer to examine her.

"You sound like the mortals!" She teased her mother in law, laying into the pillows of the bed she laid on in the healing room of the palace and closing her eyes "You worry too much!...I hope I am awake when she gets here."

"Perhaps I should fetch Loki."

"No. Loki has far more important matters to see to."

"He would not see it that way."

"Well I do. A frost giant breach is very serious indeed, it could mean war…I cannot imagine how they got past the gate in the first place."

It suddenly dawned on her that she should be worried for Loki. A strange new sense of dread came over her, and she could not shake the feeling that he was in danger. She shot up from the bed and rushed to the doors of the room, her sudden burst of energy leaving almost as quickly as it came causing her to collapse on the floor in front of the doors just as she reached for their handles.

"Will you calm down, girl," Frigga pleaded, as she lifted Sigyn and helped her back to the bed "do not allow your love for him to cloud your better judgment, you are clearly not well. They are with their father; nothing can harm them, but if you must speak to him, speak to his mind."

She relaxed her body into the softness of the bed and its pillows, but could not stop her mind from running to all manner of thoughts. She concentrated on speaking to Loki.

'_What has happened Loki?'_

'_There you are. I tried calling to you before, but you did not hear.'_

'_I __knew__ you needed me. I shall come at once, where are you?'_

'_I am past need of your help now, my Love. We are all safe; the frost giants have been defeated and the peace is still intact, despite the insane and reckless quest we undertook.'_

'_Insane and Reckless Quest? Loki, where are you? What-'_

'_I am fine, Thor sought to prove something and I could not let him go at it alone. But I must go now, Father is livid with us.'_

'_What have you done?'_

'_I will explain later. I love you.'_

'_I love you.'_

Though she felt better having heard his voice, she now had more questions to ponder as she waited for Justus to arrive with his grandmother. The sun had set, and the torches in the palace lit magically, bathing everything in their flickering orange and yellow light. She was anxious to know of the 'reckless' quest, and what the princes had done to make their father so angry, and what had become of the intruding frost giants, so anxious her mind wandered to the possibilities even as she discussed baby names with Frigga. As Justus timidly entered the room with his grandmother, Sigyn recognized the odd smile she wore immediately.

"Yordis?"

"Indeed, your majesty. It is a small realm, is it not? I had no idea you were responsible for my grandson's education, my family shall be indebted to you forever."

Justus looked up at his grandmother with a scowl, but her eyes were fixed with an odd sort of intensity on the princess. She wore the look and rigid demeanor of someone trying desperately to hide their true nature, to keep from revealing their true beliefs, motives, thoughts. The boy did not speak, though Sigyn thought she noticed a bright red bruise on his cheek, as though he had recently been slapped, however in the dim flickering light of the healing room, it was hard to tell for certain.

"There is no debt required," Sigyn said, coolly, unable to shake her suspicions as she spoke to the healer "Justus is the most brilliant and noble child I have ever met, and he deserves his education. He will be the greatest mind in Asgard one day." Justus beamed at the compliment, and at her confidence in him "Now, will you be able to help me, for I am tired and very weak."

"Yes of course, your majesty. Myri tells me you experienced severe _hunger pains _this morning." She said the words with a knowing smile, sending a chill of doubt up the spine of the princess. Yordis did not sound doubtful in the fact that Sigyn had experienced hunger pains; she spoke as someone who knew for a fact that this was not the case at all "These are surely the after effects of that."

Frigga opened her mouth to speak, but quieted as Sigyn reached for her hand.

"Indeed, so what shall I do?"

"Rest, Princess. You will feel yourself again in the morning. And of course…eat something."

The unusual and unpleasant smile crossed her face once again as she bowed out of the room.

"What an unusual woman! She is quite old, my Daughter, we cannot expect her to know what she speaks of."

"I agree. Still I will go home and rest –"

"You most certainly will not. You will remain here. I will send Loki to you, if you cannot bear to spend a night apart." She spoke with the sternness and authority of a queen, and Sigyn could not muster the energy to argue with her. "The two of you make me grateful I have never been _consumed_ by love…I do indeed love Odin, but what you share with Loki is excessive."

She giggled at the Queen's expression, and closed her eyes, when suddenly the door to the room burst open and a breathless maid fell to her knees before Frigga.

"Your majesty, I have searched the palace for you…Our King has banished Prince Thor from the realm, he calls for your presence at once."

"Banished Thor? What is this nonsense you speak of girl?"

"Please maam. I cannot explain, for I know nothing but what a guard told me….But the king awaits you…please come your majesty…."


	15. Chapter 15

Frigga was so preoccupied with getting to Odin's chambers she walked right past Loki without even noticing he was there. The younger prince leaned on a pillar in the corridor of the palace, bathed in the moonlight that poured through the window and covered him in a bluish light. He again examined his hand, noted its normalcy, how utterly unharmed it was. He was still in shock of everything that had happened, from his near brush with death to watching Thor be thrown into the portal and banished from Asgard. His heart ached at the thought of it; he wished for a way to bring him back but knew it was useless to argue with the King. As if that were not enough, he had the Warriors Three and Sif and their accusatory glances and innuendo to contend with. They could believe what they wanted, but the truth was still clear to Loki; he had acted to protect them all, to protect the realm, and given the chance to do it all again he would. How dare they question the Allfather's decision to banish his own son, when they were little more than peasants: of no nobility, and only of any significance because Thor had happened to take a liking to them.

He sighed, for he had come to the end of this line of thinking and his mind lingered once again to the odd blue color his arm had taken on at the touch of the frost giant. It made no sense at all. It was known throughout all the realms that the touch of a frost giant was deadly. He had searched high and low all his life for a spell or incantation to make him impervious to hurt and harm, but he had the scars to prove that none of them had worked. He could not figure it at all, but could not shake the memory of the phenomenon either, especially how unnervingly familiar and somewhat comfortable the feeling in his arm had been. It was almost as though it was a natural state of being to him.

He needed to feel the sensation again in order to understand it, he wanted to know if it was a fluke or an ability he possessed, and if it was an ability he possessed, he wanted to know how and why he possessed it, for who in the universe would have need of such a power, to withstand the most freezing of temperatures and touches, except a member of the Jotun race. He would not entertain the thought.

"Excuse me your majesty…"

Said a small voice from a ways down the corridor, Loki turned to see a young boy with dark blonde hair dressed in regal attire and looking very solemn indeed.

"Yes."

"I am Justus, ward of Sir Iwaldi, and humble servant of your wife, her majesty Princess Sigyn."

Loki nodded as the boy stood from his bow and continued his speech.

"Lady Sigyn lies in the healing room. I was determined to wait by her door until you came, but Sir Iwaldi has sent word that my parents wish me to return home…I dare not cross them, but I would do so if you are unable to see to the Princess."

"I had no idea she was ill. Thank you boy, go home now."

He sprinted down the long halls and around the corners to the healing room, where nursemaids bowed immediately at his presence as he demanded to know where Sigyn was. They pointed to the door behind which she laid, Loki burst through it and in seemingly one motion hopped into the bed next to her and held her face in his hands, looking down upon it.

"Wake up Woman."

"Ummmhmmmm"

"Sigyn!"

"Stop Loki…I'm trying to sleep…in the morning, I promise."

"Sigyn Wake Up!"

He shook her shoulders vigorously and lifted her up off the bed by them. She opened her drowsy eyes, and squinted at him, an expression which soon turned to annoyance and then fury as she knocked his hands off of her and shoved him away, almost knocking him off the bed that was barely big enough for both of them.

"Why would you wake me, after the long and exhausting day I have had? You are so selfish!"

"The day _you_ have had? I just watched my brother get thrown off of the planet. BANISHED, forever as far as I know, and that was only the last in a list of bizarre and life threatening occurrences. But _you_ have had an exhausting day."

"I am in the healing room, confined to a bed, am I not? Oh, and I am fine by the way, I only fainted in the healing house this morning, of hunger pains."

"You could not have hunger pains: you eat regularly, I see to that."

"Well not well enough, for I fainted, before the healer could tell me if I was with child."

"So You Still Do Not Know?"

"Do not shout at me, you have disturbed me enough. Is it my fault the woman did not have a chance to tell me my condition?"

"You fainted, you were not dead or wounded, the way she determined you had hunger pains after you fainted, is the very same way she could have determined if you were with child."

Sigyn looked into his eyes and shrugged her shoulders, he was absolutely right, but what could be done about it.

"Well she did not. And that is not my fault….You are very edgy indeed."

"I just wish to know, one way or another, once and for all."

"And you think that I do not? We will know soon enough my Loki…do you not have a great many matters that are far more urgent which seek your attention?"

"I do, most certainly. And if I did not before I do now, after today…."

His eyes lingered on his hand as she took it and placed it across her waist.

"Thor is not really banished is he? What could he have done to deserve that?"

"He nearly restarted the war with the Frost Giants….We journeyed to Jotenheim to seek out answers for today's breach, but things spiraled totally out of control. Volstagg could very well lose an arm, Fandral was almost killed by an enormous beam of ice that ran him through, and I –" He stopped short of continuing to speak, he did not know how to describe what had happened to him, not even to Sigyn "I felt helpless to aid either one of them."

"Oh Loki," She pulled him close to her and wrapped her arms around him. He laid his head on her shoulder and shut his eyes, relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages "there cannot be anything more vile in the entire universe than a frost giant. I wish we could destroy every single one of them, and anything like them. It would do the Realms a great service in my opinion."

He cringed a little at her words, without wanting to acknowledge why. He could not allow himself to identify with the most hated beings in the realm, and he knew her words were right.

"You and Thor are like minded in that. But I do not think father is keen on the idea."

"That I do not understand."

He pulled away from her embrace and took another look at her face. She looked much better than she had in the hall that day, but still very tired. The redness was returning to her complexion, and the brightness to her eyes.

"Hunger pains? That is utter nonsense."

"That's what your mother said. But honestly Loki, what reason would the healer have to lie to me. Perhaps my hunger pains were especially severe because of the baby."

"But she would have kno-"

"Shh." She placed a finger to his lips and yawned "I do not wish to speak of this anymore, only Myri knows what she knows, and all I know is what she told me."

"That sounds like one of my riddles."

"Perhaps it is."

She gestured for him to lie back, and once he did she laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his body.

"I am so sorry about Thor. I know how much you love him, and how much this is hurting you. As soon as I am well we will find a way to bring him back. I promise."

"Thank you."

She drifted quickly back to sleep, and once he was sure she was deeply so, he slid himself out of her arms and tiptoed out of the room. He ordered a nursemaid to sit in her room at her side and ensure she wanted for nothing before he disappeared from sight.

He reappeared in the depths of the palace, a dark and dimly lit area very near the dungeons. This was where the casket had been moved to for safe keeping. No one who was unfamiliar with the layout of the palace would ever be able to find their way out of this chamber, with its many flights of stairs and narrow walkways, that was if they were able to locate the chamber in the first place. But it was a cinch for one like Loki, who not only knew the palace inside out but also could magically enter the chamber unseen, unheard, and in an instant.

He stood before the casket and hesitated for a moment, his arms on either side of the large rectangular box, ready to grasp the handles of it, to come another step closer to understanding what had happened to him, disregarding the fact that the destroyer was watching his every move. He did not care, not even as he heard the fire begin to rumble within the massive guardian of the casket, for he held the box between his arms having lifted it off of the pedestal upon which it had sat. His heart broke to see the blueness return to his arms, and it horrified him to watch it spread quickly over the rest of his body. The cold was uncomfortable only in that it was the opposite of the warmth he had become used to, it was not unwelcome or unnatural to him, and of all the emotions that ran through his body, fear was not among them. He transformed and the destroyer began to advance all within an instant, when just as suddenly, he heard the commanding voice of his father behind him.

"Stop."

He turned in time to see his father enter the room, standing atop the staircase. The destroyer retreated back into its cage at the command of its master, and Loki posed a question to the Allfather that he dared not ask another living soul.

"Am I cursed?"

He hated himself for even having to ask, for needing to know, for sounding so weak in front of his father.

"No." Odin replied, matter of factly "Put the casket down."

Loki obliged, and as he did so returned to his natural form. He stared blankly at his father as he turned around, astonished at the long pause the man decided to take, when he should have been explaining himself to his son.

"What am I?"

"You're my son."

"What _more _than that?"

Odin's silence could have been explained by his tiredness, the extreme mental and physical strain he had suffered that very day, or his unwillingness to admit to his beloved son the truth of his heritage. Loki was unable to reason with any of this, and read the silence of his father as confirmation of his worst fears.

"The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotenheim that day, was it?"

"No."

He said much more than that, but Loki heard none of it. His mind went blank and he lost all ability to hear or see anything for a moment. It was unfathomable. It could not be. He was able to pull himself back enough to hear two more words.

"Laufey's son."

"Laufey's son…." This was more than he could bear. He had been prepared to learn that he was simply deformed, or perhaps just unusual like Sigyn, not to know that he was not even of Asgard, and certainly not that he was not Odin's child at all "Why? You were knee deep in Jotun blood, WHY would you take me?"

He was enraged. He did not hear or wish to hear Odin's explanation. He did not realize the tears that fell down his face, or the fact that he was advancing towards the Allfather.

"I am no more than another _stolen relic, _locked up here until you _might_ have use of me!"

"Why do you twist my words?"

Odin asked, weary, stooping, trying to sit down, unaware that his son had not even heard the words he spoke of.

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning? Why didn't you?"

"You are my son, my blood," he said, using his last stores of energy to convey his sincerity in the hopes of reassuring his son of the love he bore him "I wanted only to protect you from the truth."

"Because I am the _monster _parents tell their children about at night?"

He continued as though his father had not spoken at all. He climbed the stairs and came to tower over the weak and crumpled form of the King.

"Don't…."

"It all makes sense now," he stated, as much to himself as to Odin "why you favored Thor all these years."

"Listen!"

"Because no matter how much you claim to_ 'love'_ me, you could NEVER have a _Frost Giant_ sitting on the Throne of Asgard!"

He thought the fury he felt would never subside, it felt as though it would overtake him, control him from the inside out, until he saw Odin, the only father he had ever known, let out a cry of pain and fall back, completely unconscious. He collapsed to his knees and cradled the King's still body in his arms, calling to the guards nearby for help. They carried the Allfather out and to his chambers, where every skilled healer in the realm would come to attend to him. Loki had an all new reason to be shocked, another thing to be worried and frantic about. As much as the truth had hurt him it did not make it any less difficult for him to see Odin in such a state, and although his relationship with his father would never be the same, he was unable to completely cast the man out of his heart.

* * *

Though his heart was broken, all he had to fall back on was his duty. It was his duty to be at his Father's side, it was his duty to care for his Mother while the King was incapacitated; it was his duty to push his confusion and astonishment aside to fulfill the needs of the realm. If he had allowed himself time to think he would have wallowed in his feelings of betrayal, he reasoned instead that there would be plenty of time to have it out when Odin awoke.

Frigga and Loki sat at the King's bedside in silence all night, and did not even speak to each other, until the next morning. The effects of the Odin sleep were a sight to behold, and did not seem at all to be a pleasant experience. The Allfather looked pale and frail in his bed, a layer of white light hovered over him, pure energy which he needed to absorb in order to regain the strength and wisdom required to rule the realms.

As she noticed the look of internal anguish on her son's face, Frigga broke her silence.

"I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning. There should be no secrets in a family."

"So why did he lie?"

He spoke calmly, having had time to absorb and process the revelation.

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are in every way our son, Loki, and we your family. You must know that."

He believed her, and as he gazed down at the helpless and still form of Odin, he tried to believe that he felt that as well. It was hard to forget, however, the obvious reluctance Odin had shown to grant him any authority or responsibility of his own free will. The little he had came with his title, the rest came as a result of picking up Thor's slack, but when it came down to it, Odin would never deem him worthy of even a chance…and now he knew why.

He was conflicted about what to say or do as Frigga expressed her worry at her husband's condition. Loki took her hand to comfort her out of instinct, as she voiced her fear that the King would never awake, but as he held it, he was unsure of whether he should…whether he had any right to.

"You're a good son." She smiled at him "And we mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us, and your brother."

This deeply unsettled Loki; Thor could not be permitted to return now, for if he did, he would be king, and all that had transpired would have been in vain. Surely the Queen did not intend to bring him back…

"What hope is there for Thor?"

"There's always a purpose to everything your father does, Thor may yet find a way home."

Once again he had received a revelation that he needed to process further before he could speak or act on it. If Thor made his way home before Odin awoke, Asgard would be ruined, and as much as he loved and missed his brother, things had gone too far to allow Thor to destroy it with his un-readiness and reckless attitude. He stood to leave and crossed the room to the door when a group of guards entered and stood before him. Loki stepped back, apprehensive of their motives, unsure of if they had come to seize him; however they continued to stand before him, as Frigga spoke.

"Thor is banished; the line of succession falls to you. Until he awakens Asgard is yours."

The guards kneeled before Loki, who was overcome with a sense of disbelief much happier than what he had experienced at the news of his true birth. He held Gungnir, the sword of the King, in his hand after being presented it by a guard, and looked in wonder at the fact that it was now his to wield, and with it all the power of a king of Asgard. He felt truly powerful for the first time.

"Make Your Father Proud."

* * *

Sigyn stepped out of the carriage and walked up the path to her front door. She felt energized and refreshed, and all she wanted was to be home for a moment before she went to work on finding a way to bring Thor back. She went into the study and sat on the floor in the middle of a pile of books on the laws and covenants of Asgard, searching for the statutes regarding banishment. She had no idea of what Loki had been through the night before, and no idea of the Allfather's condition, for the palace had been still and empty when she slipped out of the healing room in the early light of day. She poured over the laws for hours, until she simply could not fit another line of information into her brain, and laid back with a sigh at the uselessness of the information she had acquired. There was nothing that could help Thor in what she had read so far, and nothing she could use to plead his case before the council. She rose up when she heard the front door slam and Loki calling her name.

"Sigyn! Sigyn, are you here?"

"I am in the study."

He entered the room, removed Gungnir from his waist and lay on the floor near her, his head resting in her lap.

"Please read my mind, Love, for I know not how to say out loud all that has transpired since I left you last night…"

"Tell me. I fear if I begin to read your mind I will be too fascinated by what I find to ever stop."

"Odin has fallen into a sleep. This is unlike the others, mother fears he may not awaken."

"No Loki, do not even repeat such talk! He will be fine…he must be."

"I am king until he wakes up. We are to move to the palace as soon as we can."

It was Sigyn's turn to be shocked, though she covered his face in excited kisses and made him smile, in spite of himself and the weight on his shoulders.

"That is most unexpected, but you will make a fine king. I only wish you father did not have to succumb, and your brother to be banished, in order for you to rule."

"That brings me to my next point…This one is harder to say out loud than the rest. I honestly do not know how to put it in words."

"What could it be?"

He pulled her in to kiss her and suddenly pulled away, standing up, pulling her to her feet and lifting her into his arms before she had time to question him or protest. He carried her up to their bedroom and laid her on the bed, kissing her neck, shoulders and every inch of skin he exposed as he slid her out of the simple white gown she had worn home from the palace. Of course a part of her wondered why he had stopped speaking so abruptly, and if his sudden burst of passion was really just an effort to stall saying what he needed to say, but she cared more for his touch and his kiss than she did for his reasons behind them. The truth was he wanted to be with her one last time before she found out who and what he truly was, yes it was selfish and even a bit deceptive, but it was also terrifying to him to think of how she would look at him after he revealed himself to her. She could come to cringe at his touch instead of craving it; she could come to recoil from his kiss instead of leaning into it. It was enough to make him want to lock her away in a room shut off from every other living being, just so she would never have to know.

As she ran her hands through his hair and down his bare shoulders and back, all the problems of yesterday seemed to melt away into nothingness. She pressed her thighs into his hips as he moved, every thrust deeper and more passionate than the last. He was affectionate and careful with her body for he was still concerned about her health and made a conscious effort to be gentle, though momentarily he would lose control and pin her arms down forcefully. She loved both sides of him, and would giggle at his expression when he realized he was getting rough. Her smile was still enough to make him happy, yet it grieved him at the same time. He kissed her lips, and concentrated on keeping their bodies as close as physically possible, until she pulled away slightly and whispered his name as she wrapped her legs around his waist and clenched his back, signaling to him that she was almost at the point where she _needed_ to stop. As she lay on the bed, breathless and recovering from the sudden and fervent attention her husband had just lavished on her she smiled again as he proceeded to kiss and lick her belly button, then turned her over and kissed her down her spine, then back up and across her shoulder blades. He was trying to memorize what she tasted and felt like, just in case she did not respond well to his news. He turned her over again and laid between her legs, fixing them around his waist and pinning her arms above her head, she kissed his lips softly.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I just fully realized that I am King, it is within my rights to rule you."

She laughed loudly at the joke, knowing this was not the truth.

"Tell the truth."

"I am afraid you will run away if I do not hold you down."

He spoke without a hint of sarcasm or humor in his tone, and Sigyn became worried.

"Surely it is not that bad."

"What I have to say will change everything you think you know of me, even the way you look at me."

He sat up abruptly and covered himself in a sheet; Sigyn covered herself as well and crawled into his lap.

"It could never change how I feel about you, I love you and I swore myself to you for all time. I am yours, no matter what."

"Odin and Frigga are not my parents. I am not a rightful prince of Asgard."

"What?"

"Laufey, the Jotun King is my father."

He looked into her eyes with a look of pure shame, and waited for her reaction. To his shock and awe she began to laugh hysterically, rolling on the bed, clutching her stomach and kicking her legs.

"Oh, Loki, you've been teasing me! I honestly thought you had a deep dark secret to tell! You had me frightened for a moment."

She caught her breath and sat up just in time to see her husband's skin turn blue, and his eyes glow red. The room was suddenly very cold to her, but she was too stunned to say anything. She knew this was not magic, for no such spell existed. Yes Loki could change form into almost any creature, but for an Asgardian to take on the form of a Frost Giant would mean certain death, for their bodies could never withstand the sudden and drastic change in temperature such a transformation would entail.

"Are you not an appropriator?"

She asked, reaching out to touch his frigid skin.

"No Woman." He said, quickly changing back to his natural form before she touched him and hurt herself "I am Laufey's son. I was taken from Jotenheim along with the Casket during the last war."

"Loki that is preposterous."

"It is True. Odin himself told me."

"You are Odin's son…it matters not who birthed you. You are an Asgardian and an Odinsonn."

"Laufeyson."

"Odinsonn." She crawled back into his lap, to his dismay, and held his chin, forcing him to raise his head and look into her eyes. "Or Laufeyson if that is what you feel. Either way you are a prince and now a king."

"Why are you saying that? You loathe frost giants."

"But I love you. I do not care who your father is, or where you were born, or what color your skin is at times. You belong to me, you are just as much mine as you have ever been, and I will never abandon my Loki."

"But Sigyn, you just said you wished all frost giants and anything like them could be wiped from the face of the universe."

"I know what I said, Loki, I do not need you to remind me of what I said…But you are not one of them, you belong here in Asgard with us, you are our God of Mischief! What being from Jotenheim has ever been called a god? Your father never had a doubt about who you truly are, and neither do I."

She realized the lie in her words as she suddenly remembered what had been said between her and Odin at the dinner party. This was that horrible, dreaded secret Odin had tried so desperately to keep her from. Every clue about the situation flooded her now, why he was worried about the species of their child, why that obscure bit about dimi-giants had been removed from the book and hidden. Loki noticed her demeanor turn from consoling to something else, something he mistook for guilt.

"Did you know?"

He grabbed her wrists forcefully, once again forgetting his resolve to be careful.

"Did You Know This About Me?"

"Of course not! Let Go!"

"You knew didn't you? Is that why you always loved me; was it that notoriously unwavering compassion you are renowned for? Couldn't bear to watch the little orphan freak go friendless?"

"Stop it. You know that's not true."

"You took pity on me didn't you?"

His old feelings of unworthiness returned; the very tortured feelings that had kept him from admitting his love for her to her in the first place.

"I never pitied you Loki…I admired you, and I understood you…I swear I did not know anything about you being Laufey's son."

She struggled to pull away from him, and though she was strong he was stronger.

"You can lie just as well as I can when you wish to…how do I know you are not lying right now?"

He pinned her arms behind her with one hand and grabbed her throat with the other.

"Loki, I love you, I would never-"

"Yes, you love me, and Odin loves me, and M-…Frigga loves me. Yet you have all lied to me, or kept things from me, or stolen me. You have all in some way betrayed me. What kind of love is that?"

"I never did any of those things, I honestly did n-"

"Well you should have known Sigyn! What good is it to be a mind reader and all that if you are too virtuous and principled to use it?"

"I do not use it on those I am closest to, I did not think there was a reason. I never had a reason to suspect you were anything else than his son...how could I know they would keep a secret like that."

"Well let me educate you, Woman," his voice was suddenly very acerbic, cruel even, as he tightened his grip around her neck "it is those closest to you who will do you the most harm, with the most ease. You should be wary of them…far more wary of them than anyone else."

She tried to pry his hand from around her neck, and suddenly he let go, pushing her off of his lap and walking to the washroom. She ran her hands across her throat and coughed a little, relieved to be free of his grasp. She pulled a silk nightgown out of her drawer and slid it on, and then she went to the washroom door. She hesitated before opening it, unsure of what she could say to him to make him believe her. She could not really argue that she could not have known, she could have read Odin or Frigga's minds at anytime and they would have been powerless to stop her, but she had no reason to suspect there was anything like this. They loved Loki, raised him as their son, and yes they had favored Thor, but everyone favored Thor…everyone except Sigyn.

The water from the shower's spray ran over his body and burned against his skin. He wanted to be burned, to feel as warm as possible, to melt away and flow down the drain if necessary. Of course he knew she did not lie to him, but it did not make him any less angry. Someone should have known, someone should have told him, she was not exempt from the blame.

But then again of course she was, for Loki had never felt he belonged in Asgard, he had always been different, feared by some, loathed by many. But in Sigyn he found a place to belong and feel safe; the first memory he had of her was her protecting him. He could still see that day so long past in full detail, the little girl with the odd colored skin and long black hair pushing him out of the way of a rogue blocking spell, cast by a warrior who practiced in a field nearby. He remembered the smile she wore then, as she looked down on him from her position atop him. He remembered how shocked he was at her strength and speed, and how he wondered why he liked the light in her eyes so much.

"You will have to be more attentive than that if you seek to rule Asgard one day, _your majesty, _and faster too_._" She teased him as she stood and offered him a hand up. "I will not always be there to save you."

He was small and young then, still very much a child, and she was slightly younger, yet she had his attention. They spent every spare moment together, they shared every secret they had ever known or discovered, and he had never known another friend like the one he had in Sigyn.

As he stepped out of the shower, he dried himself off and wiped the steam from the mirror, catching a glimpse of himself. His black hair was slicked back from his face, his eyes had small bags under them, only noticeable because they had never been there before, but his face was otherwise unchanged, his skin was as pale and white as ever and his eyes were the same mysterious shade of blue and somewhat green. There was no red in them to his relief. He thought on Sigyn's words, that he could basically choose who he wanted to be, an Odinsonn, or a Laufeyson. No matter what he felt about the lies, he could not bring himself to fully believe that his parents had intended to hurt him. Odin did not have to save him that day in Jotenheim; Loki knew he must have seen some loveable, redeeming quality in the child. If he were rational about it, Odin had made him a prince, his very own son, and now because of that he was King of the greatest realm in the universe. But rationality is a very hard feat to pull off when the bottom of your world has fallen out and your heart is broken, and deeply conflicted.

He was leaning on the marble slab in front of the mirror when she came in, and his face looked devastated in the reflection. He would not look in her eyes or speak, but she knew he was simply ashamed and remorseful of the way he had treated her. She was quick to forgive him, only able to imagine the turmoil in his soul.

"I do not know what I should say. I do not know what you need to hear. But I would say it, if I knew. I would do anything to help you. I am sorry they lied to you, and stole you from your home, only if that is what hurt you. But I will never be sorry that you were here, in Asgard with me, and so a large part of me is grateful to Odin beyond words."

"Laufey did not want me. I believe Fath-…Odin, said he had abandoned me to die."

"Then I am even gladder for it." She laid her head on his back and placed her arms around him "I would be lost without you now, and I shudder to think what would have happened to me if you never even existed in my world."

"You would have died of boredom by now."

"Most definitely….However if you ever choke me again, I will have to kill you, and simply be lost."

He nodded and kissed her hand. He felt better now, his rage had subsided, at least for the moment.

"I am a fool, Love. I lash out in ways that make absolutely no sense. But know with absolute certainty, no matter what I do, my love for you and Asgard is boundless."

"I know."

She hoped it was true, as she helped him dress and began to pack his things for his journey to the palace. She fastened Gungnir around his waist and smiled up at him, trying to reassure him of his place and his right to rule.

"When will you be there?"

"It will not take long. I send my things with you, I shall bathe and dress and be on my way."

"Shall I wait for you then?"

"No Loki, you are the King now." She smoothed away a wrinkle on the shoulder of his jacket and kissed him softly "You don't need me to be there for you to sit on the throne. You were born for this; you know exactly what to do."

He blushed a little at the fact that she knew he was nervous and unenthusiastic to go without her. But he was proud that she had such faith in him, and so he stood up straight and lifted his head, the air of confidence and regality he usually displayed returning to him.

"Fine then, Woman. But do not keep your King waiting for very long…."

He descended the stairs of the mansion to find his royal guard waiting for him in the front hall. They kneeled to him, stood quickly and surrounded him, protecting him on all sides as he crossed to the front door. As he stepped out he noticed a small box made of silver on the porch, with a sealed envelope attached to it, Sigyn's name written across it. He lifted it, surprised by how light it was, he had expected it to be heavy for it was made of pure silver and looked very ornate.

"Maid," he called to the young servant girl who walked in from the garden, she bowed before him, and suddenly became very nervous "Bring this to my wife, and of course assist her in getting ready if she will allow you."

The maid took the box from him and nodded, continuing to bow as she backed into the house and dashed up the stairs.

"Come, King Loki." Said the lead guard who stood at his side "There are matters of state that require your attention, the council awaits your arrival…."


	16. Chapter 16

I'm back! Did you miss me? So sorry it took so long to write this but my life is really hectic right now. Anyway, here you go...its a little long, I promise 17 is coming soon! ; )

* * *

Sigyn stepped out of the carriage and was led across the courtyard of the palace by her own throng of guards, along with the young maid, Elody, who had helped her get dressed that morning. The maid clutched the silver box tightly in her hands as she gasped and gazed all around her, entering the palace of the Odinsonn's for the very first time. Sigyn looked at her astonishment and smiled, realizing that although all of this was familiar and normal to her, most other women in the realm had never experienced the privileges she had. She wanted to impress the girl even further, and as they came to a stop at the golden doors of the wing of the palace that had been prepared for her and Loki, she asked her lead guard to fetch the palace seamstress for her at once.

She was not under any impression at all that she was now Queen of Asgard, and she had no desire to be. Loki being king really had very little effect on her life at all, especially since it was only temporary and since she was already a princess. Frigga was Queen, and as far as Sigyn was concerned she could hold that title for all eternity. As she watched the dressmaker tailor a beautiful yellow gown to fit her young maid she grinned at the look of joy on the girl's face.

"Thank you, your majesty."

The girl said, trying to contain her excitement and keep still so she did not get poked by the seamstress' needles. Sigyn nodded graciously and walked across the room, noticing the little silver box and the envelope on the dresser near the door. She picked up the letter and slid her finger under the silver colored seal, but just before she broke it, the door to the room opened.

"Your majesty." A maid bowed deeply before her and smiled "Queen Frigga has need of your company."

"Yes of course. I shall come right now." She turned to her maid, who was so caught up in her reflection she had hardly noticed the other young girl enter the room. "Elody, I go to sit with the queen. You may stay here, and fetch me if Loki comes back before I do."

Frigga sat in her tea parlor alone and in very dim light. As Sigyn approached her, traces of tears were obvious on her face, and her eyes were deeply red. She had hidden herself away so the Kingdom would not see their serene and radiant queen coming apart at the seams.

"All around me goes to Hel, and I am powerless to stop it, Daughter." She said, closing her eyes and kissing Sigyn's wrists as she held the queen's face in her hands. "My family is in ruins. My sons…."

She was unable to contain the sobs, and hid her shame and her face with her own hands as Sigyn kneeled before her.

"Frigga they are gods and warriors: they will survive. They will _recover_ and survive. Loki will adjust and Thor will return. Do not fear."

"And what of Odin? If he were not in the Sleep I would be tempted to kill him myself…how could he banish Thor, how could he lie to Loki all these years and then drop the truth on him with barely an explanation? And all without a word to me! What is it to be the queen of anything when you have less voice in matters of the realm than the common people do? But what does that matter really, when Thor is on that miserable planet of mortals, and Loki is devastated. I remember the day he brought Loki here." She patted the seat next to her and Sigyn took it, holding her hand as she continued speaking "He was the most serious baby that ever lived. He looked so sad. He never smiled at anyone except me and Thor. He loved us from the day he was brought here. And Thor was so young; he never once questioned the fact that one morning he woke up and had a baby brother…not that Thor was ever one for asking questions." She laughed at the thought of it, her spirits lifting at the thought of her sons as children "They were always so perfect together that no one ever questioned the lie. Loki fit seamlessly into our family, he was everything Thor was not but _needed _to be to rule. Only Odin and I knew the truth."

"And Laufey of course."

"No. Laufey never suspected anything, he did not care about the fate of his dimi-giant son. As far as he knows the child is dead and good riddance."

She began to sob again, laying her head on Sigyn's shoulder.

"But, Frigga, it is alright, Loki is not dead: furthermore he is a king. He is far better off this way and in time the hurt will subside and he will realize it."

"But it will never be the same! He will never feel the same towards us. We should have told him from the beginning, he had a right to know…"

"He will understand Mother, he will. I will make him understand if I must. He can be reasonable, just give him time."

"I would not blame him if he hated us forever."

"He does not hate you now."

"He should."

"You speak with the heart of a grieving mother but I know that Loki loves you and always will. Sleep, my Queen. Rest. These hysterics do none of us any good, and the men need our strength and wisdom now more than ever."

"But Thor –"

"Speak to me of Thor after your rest." She said, conjuring a bed in the middle of the parlor, and helping Frigga into it. "It will all be fine in the end. You will see."

* * *

Loki sat on the throne, surrounded by his faithful guard, and leaned his head on his fist. His meeting with the council had been trying to say the least, with their incessant talk of Thor and his right to succeed and their desire to bring him back, at least until the Allfather awoke. Loki had, however, relished the chance to finally put the old, brittle, pompous members of the council in their place. He informed them of their true position, little more than givers of opinion, absolutely powerless to dictate or alter the will of the King of Asgard. Odin had sought to give them a more influential position, even the power to overrule the King, but thankfully he had never gone through with the act. Now Loki had their disdain, and could no longer trust them to counsel him honestly, but he was unworried; he would follow his instincts and Sigyn's counsel when he needed it. He needed nothing else.

His heart burned at the thought of Thor returning, it was a reaction that seemed to strengthen with every mention of the idea. Everyone was bent on returning Thor to Asgard, completely prepared to disregard his potentially disastrous antics, as usual, and Loki resigned himself to the fact that it would happen. He simply needed to devise a plan, quickly, to ensure that even Thor in all his epic recklessness could not destroy or endanger the realm. He and the council had agreed on one thing: the frost giants, his newfound kinsmen were the greatest threat to the safety of the realm. Loki dared not reveal his true heritage to the council, and they wrote off his obvious disgust at the mention of the species as a result of their breach, which had caused so much devastation to his family. He leaned back into the throne and pondered his options, how he could sure up the protection of the realm with his father incapacitated, and how he could make it so secure that even Thor, when he returned, could not undo it? These thoughts ran through his mind as the doors to the hall burst open and the Warriors Three, led by Lady Sif, made their way to the throne. Loki motioned for his guards to stand just in front of him, in an effort to conceal himself from the group for a moment long enough to hear the true reason they had come before the king with such urgency.

"Allfather we must speak with you-"

She stopped abruptly and stood with her mouth open in surprise as she approached and recognized the figure on the throne was Loki. He wore his horned helmet, held Gungnir in his hand, and looked very much the part of capable ruler as he rose and stood before them. She could not bear the sight and although she stood quietly, she wanted to scream as he arrogantly explained how he was now ruler of Asgard. It was Thor's throne he sat upon, he had no right to be there. She knew the guards would protect him with their lives, she knew he did not need the guards to protect him at all, yet still she was tempted to forget all of it and lunge forward with her sword drawn.

"Father's fallen into the Odin sleep. Mother fears he may never awaken again."

She composed herself enough at this revelation to speak. There still remained a conscientious and levelheaded Odinsonn in the palace.

"We would speak with her."

She demanded, flashing a reassuring glance to her comrades. Loki read the look for what it was, a declaration of their obvious intent to poison his mother's mind with their insinuations that he had intended for all of this to happen, orchestrated it even.

"She refuses to leave my father's side," it was strange to refer to him as father, yet still it came so naturally "you can bring your urgent matter to me, your King."

"We would ask _you_ to end Thor's banishment."

Sif asked, feigning reverence and pleasantry. Loki narrowed his eyes, rolled them, and spoke slowly, explaining, rather halfheartedly, that he would not use his power to undo his father's last act as king. He was relieved to watch them leave the hall, he had been forced to tolerate their presence when Thor was around, and he could only just bear to be subjected to it now. But he could not deny that their visit added even more urgency to his cause, time was not on his side and he would have to act quickly. He could sit and think no more, he would have to go ahead with the idea that had crept into his mind as he'd sat before. These were matters that would under normal circumstances take a king months to settle, Loki was uncertain if he even had a day to execute his plan.

Not that it was a plan he particularly wanted to execute. He grasped at every other possible alternative to it, but could think of none. There was only one way to keep Thor from coming back to Asgard prematurely. He would crush his brother's spirit; he would do what most in the realm thought he did best: lie to his brother, be malicious towards him, and leave him in a state so low that coming back to Asgard would be the last thing on his mind. He reasoned with the pit in his stomach, soothed it by telling himself that this was for the best, and not forever, that he did this as much for Thor's own sake as for the sake of Asgard, but in his heart there was a twinge of something he pretended was not there. As he rose from the throne and walked the back halls of the palace in search of Hugo, he wore a very telling smirk on his face.

* * *

Sigyn left the tea parlor and decided to sit in on the lessons of the young girls who were born to the noble families of Asgard. They found it hard to concentrate with the princess in the room, and before long they had surrounded her, sitting Sigyn on an ottoman in the middle of their classroom and playing with her hair, using their quills and fountain pens to pile it high atop her head and admiring her jewelry as they asked her questions about what it was to be a princess.

"Do you live at the palace now that his majesty Prince Loki is King?"

"Yes we do, but Loki is more like King Interim, he will rule until the Allfather awakens, or Thor returns."

"Thor is banished I hear. Is that true your majesty?"

"Thor has been sent on a mission by his father, and will return once it is complete…Does that sound like banishment to you?" the girl grinned from ear to ear and shook her head no "Well then, you have your answer."

"My mother says you and the prince will have beautiful children, since you are both so good looking. She said to tell you that if I got the chance."

"Thank her for me….What did you girls learn today?"

"Nothing much I'm afraid your majesty," said their tutor, in an exasperated tone, from a table nearby where she stood packing her things "with the Frost Giant breach, the Allfather's sudden sleep and Thor's mysterious departure they have done little more than gossip all day."

"Perhaps they should get back to their work then." Loki's voice echoed through the classroom, and the girls and their tutor fell to their knees before him. He had been watching for a moment from his position at the doorpost. He was sorry to interrupt, for she looked perfectly happy to be surrounded by the children, and it put him at ease to see her that way. But he needed to distract her with a gesture of kindness before he could begin to execute his plan, otherwise she would read him like a book, and try to stop him. He smiled at the reverence the girls showed, letting them linger in the bow for a moment before he spoke again. "Rise... Come, wife, I must speak with you."

Sigyn stood and said her goodbyes to the girls before walking to Loki and taking his outstretched hand in hers.

"What is it?"

"I have not seen you all day, where have you been?"

"Here, I just figured you were busy, I did not wish to bother you."

"You could never bother me." He flashed her a smile and a wink and squeezed her hand gently as they walked. She gave him a quizzical look in return, trying to know what could have brightened his mood so much. "You look worried."

"I am. Why are you so…_happy?_"

"I have had a good day, very productive."

"You are acting strange, stranger than usual... Where do you take me?"

He grinned and kept leading her along, in silence, until they stood before the golden doors to their wing of the palace.

"Close your eyes."

"Loki, I have already been here. I saw the rooms already."

"Not this room. Trust me, close your eyes."

She closed her eyes and sighed as Loki led her through the doors, she frowned sensing that it was the same door she had gone through earlier, the one that led to their bedroom suite. He opened the door and led her into the room behind it.

"I tell you again, this is no surprise to me, I have seen this all be-"She stopped short as she opened her eyes, for this was not at all the bedroom she had spent the morning in. She spun around where she stood, eyes wide with astonishment, stopping on the smiling face of her husband. "Loki!"

"I hope you like it, I know we do not yet know if there is a child to prepare for but, I thought since they were readying a wing for us they should ready a wing for all of us…I mean even when Fat- Odin, awakens we can visit and live here."

"So you intend to stay in Asgard then…be an Odinsonn."

"Where else would I go? I could never be one of _them_." She kissed him and he smiled a small smile "and you would never go with me."

"I would go with you anywhere, and you know it." She ran a finger across his chin and looked into his eyes. They gleamed green in the afternoon sun, but he seemed hesitant to hold her gaze. "Are you sure you are all right?"

"Yes, Woman."

She looked around the nursery again and smiled, it was a lovely combination of silver and gold, emerald and blue. The crib stood in a corner of the medium sized room, along with a rocking chair and a bed big enough for them to lay on with the baby. The walls of the room were enchanted to look like the brightly colored stars and planets of the galaxy, and soothing music played softly in the air.

"Loki this is wonderful. When did you do this?"

"Mother had them prepare the wing as soon as she learned of Father's illness. They asked me if there was anything missing, and I told them we would need a nursery. I made it seem very urgent."

"The realm will be expecting a child any minute."

"The staff is discreet. No one should know."

"I hope so; I do not want them pressuring me for an heir." She ran her hands across the silver posts of the crib. "I am very grateful to you for this. I love it. You can be so thoughtful…Occasionally. Seeing a crib makes it all seem real. Not long ago I was betrothed to someone else, and you were my friend. I do not think I even knew that I loved you. And _now_ we are married and preparing to have a child."

"Yes, indeed much has changed since then. Everything has changed since then."

He lowered his head and moved towards the door. Sigyn heard his feet and turned to look at him.

"Are you leaving?"

"I have much to do, and not nearly enough time to accomplish it. Promise me something though."

"What?"

"You will see the healer and get a definitive answer from her. Take Mot- the Queen with you if you must."

"I cannot promise but I will try. And where are you going, what must you do?"

"I have no time to explain. I will not be gone long." He smiled and turned to leave, calling over his shoulder as he went. "I expect to know if we will soon fill that crib when I return!"

Sigyn opened the door that connected the nursery to their bedroom and laid herself down on the bed. She suddenly felt very lonely, and a little afraid. Loki seemed odd, as though he were going through the motions and presenting a pretense to everyone, including her. His eyes told a different story than his smile and his words, his eyes looked troubled and mired in thought. Her sigh was deep and long as she rolled over and looked up at the ceiling of this large and unfamiliar room. She longed for their bed, their room, their house. She did not feel at home here, though she knew the palace like the back of her hand, though the Odinsonns had been like family to her all of her life. She had made a home in the city with her husband, and that was where she longed to be.

But she could not wallow in her worry or her loneliness, so she sat up slowly on the bed and caught a glimpse of the silver box on the dresser in front her, just across the room. She stood and walked slowly over to it, in no particular rush to do anything, as her mood was not very bright. For the second time that day she slid her finger under the seal, this time breaking it before being interrupted once again by a sudden burst through the door. Elody panted a little as she tried to speak.

"Your majesty, there is an emergency on the island of the infirmed concerning Theoric. His healers desire your presence at once."

As she walked through the halls of the palace with her guard she was troubled and anxious to know what had happened to Theoric, she was so much in thought she was startled when Sif grabbed her arm and stopped her. They stood face to in the hall, the guards stood a safe distance behind them.

"Sif not now, I do not have time."

"You must hear me. Your husband has no claim to the throne and you know it."

"I know nothing of the kind, unhand me." She pulled her arm free and looked her friend in the eye. "What has Loki done to make you speak this way of him?"

"He is the reason Thor is banished! Tell me you realize that!"

"THOR is banished because of his own actions, Loki _made_ him do nothing. Tell me you realize that!"

"LOKI IS AN EVIL TREACHEROUS LYING-"

"ANOTHER WORD AND I WILL GOUGE OUT YOUR EYES AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT SIF!" She advanced on the warrior woman with an intense and fearsome look in her eyes "That Is The King of The Realm You Speak Of, Not To Mention My Husband. Blame Thor, blame the ill advice of his friends, blame the frost giants, and I will whole heartedly agree, but blame Loki for any of what has transpired and you and I will have a very serious problem."

"Do you think_ I_ fear _you_?"

"Perhaps and perhaps not…But you should Sif, for if you intend to speak against him to me, I shall become a thing of absolute terror to you."

"You are a fool, anyone with eyes could see Loki is responsible for the breach, the banishment, and the sleep, yet you defend him and threaten me as though he is innocent."

"He is anything but innocent, still, the likes of you will not disrespect him and live to tell the tale."

"You threaten my life, for him! I am your friend!"

"You spew hate for the person that I hold dearest to my heart, and you call yourself my friend? Loki has done nothing-"

"He caused-"

"SUSPICION Sif! You can prove nothing! You do not know him, and rest assured if he is responsible for all this as you say, he has a reason for all of it."

"Undoubtedly! He is jealous of Thor, which is the reason!"

"Loki loves Thor, and he is nothing more to you than an occasional bed mate, do not insult me by pretending this is all about him."

"He is my betrothed, although we all know how unimportant that concept is to you!"

Her hand flew forcefully across Sif's face before she could stop it, and as Sif drew her sword, Sigyn bent it in half with a wave of her hand and froze her guards in place with a nod of her head. Sif's eyes grew wide and suddenly narrowed in anger. She lunged for Sigyn's throat; Sigyn caught her arm and applied pressure to the inside of her wrist, bringing Sif to her knees in agony.

"I will let go if you stop this nonsense at once."

Sif nodded, unable to speak through the pain. Sigyn let go of her and helped her stand to her feet.

"He is a monster, and I see you are little better. I will not speak of this to you again…Your Majesty…Your Esteemed Goddesship. Just remember you have a duty to the realms, above all and against any threat. Even Loki."

She retrieved her bent sword from the ground before storming off down the hall, Sigyn leaned against the wall for a moment, just long enough for Sif to vacate the premises before undoing the spell on her guards.

"My lady, are you hurt?"

"Of course not." She replied, dismissing the question with a most appreciative wave of her hand. "We shall journey on to the dock, where I shall ride to the island of the infirmed. No one will speak of this incident to ANYONE, especially not to my husband."

Her guards nodded their understanding and resumed their positions, surrounding her a little more tightly now than before.

* * *

The sun gleamed on the water, she noticed its beauty for the first time as she stepped off of the boat and onto the shores of the island. The same boy as before had driven her, and he offered to escort her up the winding path, since Thor was not with her this time. She declined, giving the boy a generous tip and sending him on his way. Wind began to whip, causing Sigyn to pull her shawl more tightly around her shoulders as she began her walk, up the path and through the gates, into the halls of the infirmary.

Yordis stood with her odd smile waiting near the entrance to greet the princess.

"How good of you to come your majesty," she said, with her usual air of familiarity and mocking " I was afraid the King had forbidden it."

"The King has yet to forbid me anything, Yordis, and please remember your place. You and I are not equals and I will not discuss the intimacies of my marriage with you." Her patience was very thin after her encounter with Sif, and the memory of the bruises on Justus had not faded from her mind "Besides I do not wish to make small talk. I was told there was an emergency."

"Indeed, Majesty, if you will follow me."

Yordis led her through the halls and down many flights of stairs, to what looked like the dungeons of the castle. The patients here screamed and hollered, wailed and moaned, threw their bodies against the cold gray stone of the walls and painted them red with their blood. It was a dangerous place to be and as Sigyn followed the healer to the far end of the floor, to a cell with iron bars two times the thickness of the others, she was shocked to see Myri standing there, pleading with what seemed to be a completely outraged Theoric.

"She Was Stolen From Me! STOLEN FROM ME! SHE WAS MEANT TO BE MINE!"

"Theoric, if you do not calm yourself I will have no choice!"

"What is the meaning of this?!"

She demanded, walking quickly past Yordis to Myri's side. Theoric stopped screaming long enough to recognize her, and reached his arm through the bars, grabbing her waist and pulling her close to them. She pried his hand away and backed out of his reach.

"Your majesty!" Myri bowed quickly, and then checked to see if Sigyn was allright "You should not be here!"

"I was asked to come. I see why now. What has happened?"

"PET! HOW COULD YOU MARRY ANOTHER? WE ARE MEANT TO BE!"

"I am so sorry your majesty. Please come away and I will explain."

"Explain now, Myri, there is no need for her to _come away_."

"I am capable of speaking for myself, Yordis. Myri, tell me what has happened."

"Someone informed Theoric of your marriage to our current King, and he apparently had forgotten that detail in the midst of his last lapse in memory. He has known of your marriage before, but he has never reacted this way."

"I believe now is the perfect time to allow you and he to be alone."

"Are you insane Yordis? And why are you here, do you have no patients to tend to?"

"I brought the princess here, Myri, and I am Theoric's healer, am I not?" She glared into Myri's eyes with her own, and Sigyn noticed that Myri's resolve softened "I do not believe you wish to speak to me that way, unless you want me to speak freely as well."

"No…no…but…I am the one in charge and I know what is best. It is too dangerous Yordis, surely you agree."

"I do not agree. I am with Theoric more often than you and therefore know his capabilities. I see no problem with them meeting."

She grabbed Sigyn with sudden and unexpected force as she opened the cell door and pushed her inside. Theoric grabbed her and pulled her into a corner as Yordis slammed the door shut and locked it. Sigyn wriggled free of Theoric's grasp just as Myri came to the door with the keys to open it. Sigyn clung to the bars as Theoric tried to pull her away, and just as Myri had fit the key into the lock, there was a loud crack, her head turned completely around, and she fell dead on the floor, at Yordis's feet, in front of the bars of the cell. Sigyn's scream was mingled and muffled with the shrieks of the patients in the dungeon. She let go of the bars with one hand and tried every spell she could think of to revive Myri, ignoring the fact that she knew no such spell existed. Yordis grinned at the desperation in her eyes, Sigyn recognized it as the first genuine smile she had ever seen on that face. She tried to set Yordis ablaze where she stood, and was astounded when that spell had no effect whatsoever on the woman. Yordis cackled with laughter, and pulled the keys from the lock just as Sigyn switched hands and reached for them.

"You think I am rather stupid, don't you!" she laughed again, dangling the keys just out of Sigyn's reach. "But clearly you are the fool. Your wonderful Godfather built this fortress with the same care and dedication as his own palace. Do you honestly think he would lock a bunch of insane ex-warriors in a dungeon that was not impervious to magic?"

"LET ME OUT OF HERE YOU MISERABLE OLD BITCH!"

"That will not do…not at all."

She slapped Sigyn across the face, which caused Theoric to release his grip on her legs and grab Myri through the bars.

"Never Harm Pet. She is mine."

"Of course, Theoric; I have brought you together again have I not?"

She soothed him with her words and he let her go, grabbing Sigyn again as Yordis began to pry her fingers one by one from the bars.

"STOP. YOU CANNOT KNOW WHAT YOU DO! PLEASE STOP! YORDIS! I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO DESERVE THIS!"

"You no, but your mother on the other hand….I only seek to prove that you are as big a whore as she was. Not that it will be a hard task, knowing the truth of what brought Theoric here in such a state."

"What are you speaking of? What can my mother possibly have to do with this?"

Sigyn gripped the bars more tightly as Theoric pulled more vigorously on her body. She pleaded with Yordis's eyes.

"I am unphased by your beauty and innocence, _your majesty_. Your mother was beautiful, and she seduced my only child and got him thrown off of a cliff with her wretched self as a result of her whoredom. Yet and still she is heralded as a Goddess, while my family are reduced to paupers, servants, common folk! And you, her most cherished offspring, are not only the beloved godchild of the Allfather, but you marry his son and become a princess. He is as big an idiot as your father is…assuming that Iwaldi is your father. We all know how tricky it is to ascertain the true heritage of some members of the royal family…and then of course the fact that your mother was the most notorious whore who ever existed."

She let go of the bars and grabbed Yordis' throat, smashing her head into the bars as many times as she could before Theoric finally yanked her away and threw her across the room. She hit the stone wall with enough force to daze her for a moment, and when she reclaimed her balance she noticed Yordis in a crumpled heap on the floor, completely knocked out. Theoric looked down on the old woman in concern, giving Sigyn just enough time to position herself in a corner of the cell very near the door lock. She could see the keys Yordis had dropped glinting in the torchlight of the dungeon, within her hands reach if she could crouch down. Theoric noticed the keys as well, but focused his attentions on Sigyn instead.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him, kissing her neck and crushing her rib cage all at the same time. She pushed against his chest with all the force she could muster, but it did no good, his strength was such as to make her believe it was unnatural. She scanned the bare room for anything to use as a weapon. There was nothing there, not even a bed, rather two areas covered in what looked like hay and a small white pillow on each. Theoric fumbled with the straps of her gown and drug her over to the nearest pile of hay, flinging her down onto it in the dim light as though she weighed no more than a small child, and laying atop her, forcing her legs apart with one strong push.

She knew she could not let this happen, she knew Loki would never be able to see past her being with another man, even if she was forced. As Theoric fumbled with the knot in the string that held his pants she yanked her beloved necklace from her neck, breaking its golden chain in the process, and quickly looped it around her hand, with the stone laid across her knuckles. Theoric realized too late her makeshift weapon, and was not quick enough to stop her punches from connecting with his eyes. They drew blood, enough to pour down from his brow and lids and blind him. He was angered by this, and grabbed the sides of her head, slamming it into the floor. The thin pillow was the only cushion between her head and the concrete floor, but she did not use the energy she had left to acknowledge the pain or scream, she kept punching. Suddenly she felt a cut in her head, and reached with her free hand to discover its source: a long, thin, beautifully crafted silver fountain pen, left by one of the girls in her hair. She actually smiled at her luck and did not hesitate at all to send the pen with all of the force she could muster into the neck of her formerly betrothed. He wailed so deep and so loud as to for a moment drown out the screams of his fellow patients. Sigyn was unperturbed by the sound, and not at all concerned with the blood that poured onto her from his neck as she stabbed him over and over again. It was clear that there was no longer a hope for Theoric; she felt no remorse in killing him. He let go of her head and fumbled his way to the farthest corner of the cell he could find, trying desperately to stop the bleeding at his neck with his bare hands. Sigyn lifted herself up from the hay, shook her now loose hair out of her eyes and ran to the door. As she reached through the bars for the keys she heard the sound of many footsteps approaching. She fumbled with the keys and the lock for a moment before finally hearing the click that meant she could open the door. She dragged Yordis' unconscious body into the cell and slammed the door shut behind her before kneeling at Myri's lifeless side. The guards arrived just in time to see the bloody princess cradle her friend's head in her arms and gently stroke her hair.

"Your Majesty?! What has happened?!"

"The old woman killed her, and threw me in the cell with Theoric," she explained as a guard came and lifted her into his arms "I want her arrested as soon as she awakes."

"Of course Maam!"

"And I want Myri's body prepared for a royal funeral. See to it, Guard."

"Exactly as you wish, Your Majesty."

With that she laid her head on the guard's shoulder and closed her eyes, unable to fully believe what she had just endured, or contemplate what she had so narrowly escaped.

* * *

Loki appeared in the small white room and saw his brother sitting there, looking defiant as ever although a bit confused and deflated as well. He remained unseen in the corner until the sad little man finally decided to stop asking questions and making idle threats and leave. He then assumed the attire he had observed some of the humans wearing and revealed himself to his brother.

"I thought he'd never leave!"

Loki almost grinned at the look of relief and excitement and surprise on his brother's face. He had difficulty acknowledging Odin and Frigga as his mother and father now, but Thor was still his brother in his eyes, and his mind. He found that strange, but pushed it out of his mind to focus on the task at hand.

"Loki! What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you."

He replied in an even tone, putting on his most solemn face.

"What has happened? Tell me, is it Jotenheim? Let me explain to Father."

Loki shook his head and tried to look grieved as he uttered his next sentence.

"Father is dead."

He knew his brother believed by the stunned look on his face. The rest would be rather simple now.

"What?"

"Your banishment…the threat of a new war…it was all too much for him to bear." Loki saw Thor realize his part in their father's 'death', and moved to comfort his brother's guilt…or at least seem to "You must not blame yourself. I know that you loved him. I tried to tell him so, but he wouldn't listen." He went on, knowing he had to in order to truly break Thor's spirit. He had struck at his heart with the lie of their father's death; he meant to break it with his next set of revelations. "It was cruel to put the hammer within your reach, knowing you could _never_ lift it….The burden of ruling has fallen to me now."

It was a shock he quickly recovered from to see his brother's face light up with hope at his words.

"Can I come home?"

"The truce with Jotenheim is conditional upon your exile," Loki lied quickly and with ease, impressed with himself at the seamlessness of the untruth he told. He lied quickly again as his brother grasped at straws, "Mother has forbidden you return."

And then he finally saw what he had been waiting for, the last gleam of light, the last bit of strength to fight, the last glimmer of hope, went out of Thor's eyes as they darkened under the realization that all hope of him returning to Asgard was lost. He believed Thor also understood that he had brought it all on himself.

"This is good bye brother. I am so sorry."

It was not a complete lie, but certainly quite far from the truth.

"No I'm sorry Loki, thank you for coming here."

"Nothing could have stopped me," he replied, turning to leave just as the sad little man reentered the room. He did not see Loki, though Loki was still visible to Thor. "Farewell Brother."

"Goodbye."

Loki heard the stupidity of the agent begin again as he walked away. He ignored the reflex within him to harm the mortal and help Thor escape, instead opting to find Mjolnir. The crater it had created and lodged within was large and surrounded by workers who saw nothing unusual as Loki walked up to the hammer, Odin's enchantment ringing in his ears as he reached hesitantly for the handle.

"_Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor."_

He grasped the handle and pulled, disappointed for a moment that his father still saw him as unworthy. It was no great surprise to him, but it stung his pride in light of what he was prepared to sacrifice, to be seen as, to protect their home.

But there was little time to dwell as he traveled through the gold and green light, for he had a far more difficult task ahead of him than the one he had just accomplished…


	17. Chapter 17

She regretted having Yordis arrested almost as soon as the order was out of her mouth, for her arrest meant a hearing before the council and hearings before the council were a public affair, therefore before the night was over the entire realm would know what had happened to her. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the story would be embellished, misconstrued, and told so many times it would probably have a very different end by the time it got to all the citizens of Asgard. She shuddered to think of how they would look at her now, how they would believe she was ruined, how they would wonder why she had gone to meet with Theoric in the first place. Her pristine and golden reputation would be irreparably tarnished.

She curled tighter into a ball on her bed in the palace and squeezed her eyes shut tightly in an effort to stop the tears that fell. She did not want to cry or become hysterical. She wanted to be in good enough condition to attend the hearing herself, but she was undoubtedly shaken, and the only person who could make her feel safe was nowhere to be found. Frigga had reluctantly left her side to search for Loki and to sit in with the council in his absence. Elody stood in the corner of the room overcome with emotion, shaking with the effort of trying to contain her sobs. As Iwaldi walked into the room and saw Sigyn lying motionless on the bed, he bowed his head, anger and concern overwhelming him. He recovered and walked across the room to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Sigyn, what can I do?"

"I know not, Father. I am unsure of what I need."

"Where is Loki?"

"I have no idea." Tears flowed more steadily down her face now, though she kept her eyes shut and her face calm "but a part of me is glad he is not here."

"He will be livid when he hears of this. I rather pity Yordis and what will befall her if Loki is allowed to get his hands on her."

"I would not pity Yordis if I were you. She is ruthless, I would _never_ let her be alone in a room with Loki." Iwaldi was aging now, but as Sigyn looked into his face she realized that his fearsomeness had not diminished with time. His clenched fists and narrowed eyes belied the rage inside of him "I fought my way out Father, just as you taught me. I am a bit shaken, in all honesty, but no worse for the wear."

"You are strong, and thankfully were able to get the advantage, but as your father I cannot help but imagine what would have happened if you had not been able to do so. In my mind, the worst occurred." He arose suddenly from his seat and paced the room, talking more to himself than anyone else "And to know in my heart that it is all a result of my actions…had I never promised your hand to that brute, had I not so carelessly thrown my promise to a stranger…"

"Father please, that is torturous to do to yourself! I do not blame you for any of it. None of it is your fault. You could never have known this…If anyone is to blame it is me, for like Loki said: what good are my gifts if I'm too virtuous and moral to use them?"

"He said that to you?"

"Yes, in anger…but he was right. I knew something was not right with Yordis from the first time I saw her face, yet I did nothing. I allowed her to plot against me and possibly everyone I love because I chose to be ignorant of her plans. I've been a fool, a trusting, self righteous little obnoxious fool. Who knows what else it has cost me, who else has gotten over on me because of it."

"No one gets over on you easily Sigyn," he soothed his daughter by holding her hand, retaking his seat on the bed and also attempting to assuage the pang of guilt he felt at her words with the gesture "You are so adamant to take the blame and spare me, but believe me my hand is in this, I assure you."

"I will never accept that as truth."

"But it is, for I am responsible for bringing Yordis's family to such a lowly state, out of hurt and anger at your mother's betrayal with her son, and I am the reason your mother is still worshipped, and the truth of her death is kept from the people….I was a bit angry with my friend, but now I am closer to understanding Odin's reasoning…it is a difficult thing to protect a child, the dangers to you are endless and so often unforeseeable."

She opened her eyes and sat up a little at these words, the last of her tears gleaming on her face as she spoke.

"Odin's reasoning about what? Loki?" Iwaldi nodded quickly, more than willing to tell his daughter that part of his secret. "So you knew the whole time and you never told him, never told me. He trusts you Father, he admires you!"

"I love the boy like he was _my _own son, but it was not my place to tell him the truth, Sigyn. Odin raised him, Odin loves him, and Odin is his father. I believed he did what he believed to be best for his son, and I still believe that."

"But you are so earnest and such an honest man Father. It is hard to imagine that you could keep still with such a lie."

"You would be amazed at what a man can do to protect those he loves…There is nothing too immoral, no lie too heinous, no action too horrible…anything goes."

"But what if they hate you when all is said and done?"

"As long as they live in safety, it is a small price to pay."

Iwaldi could take the conversation no more; he could not stand the pain in his daughter's eyes, the confusion on her face. The most grievous violations to her body had happened to her all within a matter of days, the most atrocious of which she was completely unaware of. He stood suddenly to leave, but before Sigyn could ask why, a most familiar and welcome face entered the room.

"I came as soon as I heard, your majesty." Rona insisted as she crossed the room and kneeled before Sigyn at the edge of her bed. Sigyn's eyes immediately filled with tears and her heart with sorrow. She could never hide her truest of feelings from Rona. The woman knew the girl too well to not see directly through her strong and confident façade. Rona stood quickly and embraced her pupil, her stern demeanor momentarily softened at Sigyn's need for a motherly embrace. Sigyn sobbed into her shoulder, finally able to express the pain and hurt she had felt, and most of all, the fear. Iwaldi took this as his opportunity to leave without another word. The sight of Sigyn in the middle of a break down was enough to render him speechless for the rest of his life.

* * *

As he stepped through the Bifrost he let out a heavy sigh, unable to wipe the triumphant smirk he wore off of his face and looked towards Heimdall, who glared at him. He assumed the intelligent and dutiful Heimdall had put two and two together, but he was curious to know just how much he had seen.

"What troubles you Gatekeeper?"

Loki asked, stepping off of the platform. He listened as Heimdall explained his inability to see him on his journey to Jotenheim, and his suspicions about the fact that the same sensation had occurred during the frost giant breach. Loki was impressed at his ability to see through his ruses, but proud that he still knew nothing of the plan, and he decided to use Heimdall's insinuations to his advantage. It pained him a little to speak to the Gatekeeper as though he were just another servant, for he had not forgotten all he had done to help with Theoric and Sigyn's subsequent journey to save him. But Loki had no doubt that the relationship of mutual respect that they had shared was very much tainted now, and since he could not explain his plan to Heimdall without tipping his hand, he made himself perfectly clear: he was King of Asgard now, and Heimdall would obey him. No one was to cross that portal until he said otherwise.

He walked across the Bifrost slowly, processing what had just happened in his mind. His journeys had been strenuous and long, but he was thrilled at their success. It was far easier than he had thought it would be to convince Laufey to accept his proposition, Loki even thought he saw a familiarity in the look of contempt his true father had given him, it was almost identical to the one he himself often wore. Yet, it did not bother Loki nearly as much to see that look in Laufey's eyes as it did when he thought he saw it in Odin's. It was a discrepancy he did not understand and certainly did not have time to grapple with. The plan was in motion but nowhere near finished.

His footsteps echoed loudly throughout the palace, which was unusually empty of servants and visitors. Loki began to worry as he walked from room to room, each one as deserted as the one before. He pushed through the golden doors of their wing and entered the bedroom. The young maid he'd spoken to that morning sat hugging her knees in a corner of the room, crying quietly into them.

"What has happened, where is Sigyn?"

Elody's head shot up so quickly that she banged it on the wall behind her. She scrambled to her feet and bowed deeply as she spoke.

"She has gone to the hearing your majesty." Her voice quivered with the effort it took her to speak in her state of despair. "I am sure it is not over if you wish to attend."

"What hearing? What happened?"

"You have not been told…" Her eyes grew wide in surprise as she realized the King had no idea what had happened to his wife, and she would have to be the one to tell him the story. She slid back down the wall and held her knees once again. "Your majesty, she was attacked…a healer lured her to the island and her formerly betrothed tried to…to…"

She dissolved into tears once again at the thought of what had almost befallen her kind and loving mistress. She felt a deep and relentless guilt at the fact that she had delivered the urgent message that sent Sigyn off to face such an ordeal.

"To what, Girl?" He asked, though he knew exactly what she meant, he wanted to hear her say it. "Did he rape my wife? Where is he and where is this healer?"

"She tried to kill him, she fought so hard, but I saw the cuts and bruises on her…he had to have hurt her very badly…she cried for hours, laid on that bed and cried her eyes out." Elody was frantic now, her arms flailed about as she tried to explain what had happened, all as she gasped for breath between sobs. "The healer is on trial, Theoric is unfit to stand trial for he hangs in the balance between life and death."

Loki stooped next to the girl and wiped away her tears, she was so shocked by the gesture that she stopped crying for the first time in hours. He held her face in his hands in an effort to comfort her and get her to focus.

"Where?"

He looked so deeply into her eyes it unsettled her, no man had looked at her like that before. There was nothing wrong at all as far as she was concerned as she held his gaze, and she wanted to look into those eyes forever. She would have told him anything he asked of her, and she freely told him everything she knew.

"On the island…hidden in one of the towers, they want him safe in case he recovers so he can stand trial…but they do not expect him to live through the night."

* * *

"We members of the council have come to a decision on the matter at hand. Will the accused please rise from the bench."

The council's courtroom was a long rectangular shape and they sat on an elevated row of large ornate chairs, dressed in fine and regal looking robes. The bench of the accussed was small and wooden, large enough for only one person to sit, in the very middle of the room, where all who came to watch the proceedings would have a clear view of them. Sigyn sat off to the side, in the very first row of seats in the auditorium section of the court, her guards and a host of other guards lining every inch of the walls in the room. She fixed her eyes on Yordis, who sat on the bench with a smug look upon her face. The council was very likely to impose a sentence of death upon her, yet she looked unafraid, for she was smirking at them, and even turned behind her, as best she could in the shackles she wore, to smirk in Sigyn's direction.

"I said rise from the bench."

Frigga repeated herself, her voice shaking with anger. She looked at the defiant face of the old woman and suddenly lost her ability to keep her cool. The hall gasped as the Queen flung the gavel in her hand with such precision as to smack Yordis right between the eyes and knock her backwards off the bench. Frigga looked embarrassed and even blushed a little as a servant of the court presented her with another gavel, but to her surprise the people in the hall began to cheer loudly.

"All Hail Our Most Illustrious Queen!"

"HERE! HERE!"

Even Sigyn had to laugh at how ridiculous it all seemed, but as guards approached Yordis to lift her from the floor, a sudden hush fell over the room. The old woman's clothes lay in a wrinkled heap there, empty of her body as though she had simply dissolved away. The guards leapt from their posts and ran in unison out of the room. They organized a search, sending in a group to retrieve the Queen and Princess before sealing off the courtroom. No one would enter or leave until they ensured Yordis had left the building and had no accomplices in her escape.

Sigyn laid with her head in Frigga's lap during the carriage ride home. The jolting of the carriage as it rolled down the cobbled streets of the city did not bother her at all. She longed desperately to give the driver the word to stop and let her out as they passed the mansion, but she knew it would be useless; Frigga would protest and Loki would be waiting for her at the palace….she hoped. The events of the day seemed to have been ages ago, yet she still felt the grip of Theoric on her hips, around her belly, on her ankles and calves. Her head still hurt from being slammed into the floor. It was not stinging urgent pain, more like a nagging soreness, like a constant reminder of what she had endured. Frigga stroked the edges of her hair and smiled down at her, a very small smile, but very loving as well.

"Are you alright, Sigyn?"

"Yes of course. I am stronger than I look."

"The entire realm knows of your strength…but that wicked woman has escaped, I can only imagine how that must worry you."

"Not at all, for I shall be fully prepared to face her the next time she comes."

* * *

Loki appeared in the towers of the infirmary one by one until he found Theoric, lying unconscious on a bed in a dark room, only a young nurse there to guard him. He caused her to sleep deeply with a spell he whispered into the air, and with his next breath he whispered another to wake Theoric up. He tried to sit up before realizing the shackles that had been placed on his arms and legs and around his neck. He looked at Loki for help, unsure of what was going on and unable to remember what had happened.

"Pet…Do you know who I mean when I say that?"

Theoric nodded, relief flooding him as Loki approached the bed.

"Well… you did something to Pet today, and if you want me to help you, you're going to have to tell me what it was."

He looked frantically around the room as Loki sat on the bed next to him and leaned forward, undoing the shackle and placing a dagger ever so gently against the bandages on his neck. Theoric could not speak as a result of the injuries he sustained, and Loki realized this as he mouthed words but no sound came out.

"You cannot speak can you?" Theoric widened his eyes and shook his head vigorously. "Well you are utterly useless to me then. But just so you know why I'm killing you…you raped my wife today," Theoric shook his head harder, squirming as much as he could and trying desperately to free himself "Oh yes you did…you may or may not remember it, it may come back to you in time, that is if you had time, but rest assured, friend, you did it."

Although the cry that escaped Theoric's mouth was completely silent, Loki took his free hand and covered his mouth as he slowly dug the blade of his dagger into and across Theoric's throat. He made sure to cut so that he wouldn't die instantly, rather he would writhe in agony as his blood poured from his body. He stood over him and watched with a rather detached look on his face, as he choked and spit and fought silently to stay alive. He watched as he realized it was a useless fight, and then become suddenly very still, even as blood continued to pour out of him, soaking the bed sheets and dripping into small puddles on the floor beneath the bed. It was a strange thing to watch him die, to finally be rid of the man forever….he was relieved to say the very least, and he had a small sense of satisfaction, his rage at what had happened subsided a very small bit at the fact that he had the honor of killing Theoric. He took it all in for just a moment before waving his hand and causing the blood to vanish, the wound he had inflicted on Theoric to disappear and the bandages and shackle that had been on his neck to resume their positions. Now when they found him in the morning, he would appear to have died in his sleep.

* * *

Sigyn entered her bedroom to find Elody asleep on the floor in the corner she had been standing in all day. She kneeled next to the young girl and shook her gently. Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled at the goddess, then suddenly remembered the events of the day and gave her a look of pure pity. Sigyn resented it, but did not blame the maid for it, instead sending her off to her chambers to get some sleep. When she left the room, Sigyn entered the bathroom of the bedroom and stood in the torchlight, staring at her reflection in the full length mirror. Her soreness became much more distinct as she tried to remove her gown, it was difficult to lift her arms, even more difficult to reach around and undo the intricate lacings at her back. As she fumbled with them, she closed her eyes, and sighed. She jumped in surprise as she felt a set of fingers other than her own on the strings.

"I am so sorry Love, I did not mean to scare you." Loki wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck, trying not to hold her too tightly, for he had noticed her flinches and slow movements as she fumbled with her dress. "I should not have crept up on you like that, after what you have been through today."

"Where were you?"

"I was far away…I went to check on Thor."

"Why did you go alone? I would have gladly gone with you."

"I did not think to ask you, and I was not sure if it was dangerous or not….but I suppose you were no safer here."

"I am fine Loki."

"Why did you go there at all Sigyn? I specifically told you not to."

"I was told there was an emergency, I had no idea I was being lured there to be raped…I only just escaped, I shudder to think what would have happened had I not found that pen."

Loki carefully unlaced the dress and let it fall to her feet. She stepped gingerly out of it, and even in the dim torchlight he could see the dark black bruises on her legs and arms. She gave him a smile and shrugged her shoulders, standing before him in a black slip and looking very nervously into his eyes.

"What is it?"

"I know you Loki…I can only imagine what you have heard and what you must think."

"I do not blame you Sigyn."

"But do you believe me? When I say he never got far enough to truly harm me do you know that I'm telling the truth?"

"Of course I do."

He seemed to be trying to say all the right things to her, but in her heart she felt that he seemed cold and distant, and it seemed to her that there could be no reason other than that he did not know for sure what had happened. As she moved to walk away, he noticed the pain it caused her and lifted her into his arms, cradling her there and kissing her softly.

"I did everything I could to stop him Loki. All I thought of was you."

"I don't doubt you at all." He kissed her again and carried her to the bed. She winced as he laid her down and brushed his hand across her stomach. He lifted her slip up to her waist despite her efforts to stop him. She had seen the ugly bruises across her stomach as she'd dressed for the hearing, and she did not wish for Loki to see. Large marks the shape and size of Theoric's forearms and hands were all over her. He gently rolled her over and saw that they continued onto her back. He suddenly felt very remorseful that he'd killed Theoric so quickly and quietly. He ran his fingers slowly over her bruises and as he did so they began to disappear, one by one, until her back and stomach were normal again. "Does it still hurt?"

She shook her head no and watched him as he healed the bruises on her legs and arms. When he finished he pulled her slip back down and undressed himself before laying beside her. They looked up at the silk of the canopy that hung above them. Loki took Sigyn's hand in his and linked their fingers together, she let go of his hand and turned on her side towards him, laying as close as she could to his body and placing one arm over him. Before she knew it the story of what had happened was pouring out of her mouth, every detail until she could think of nothing else to say, nothing else he needed to know. His heart lifted a bit as he fully understood how hard she had fought to keep Theoric away from her, and he was immensely proud of the strength she had displayed. She fell asleep with her head resting on his chest, but Loki could not sleep at all. His mind raced from all that had happened, he tried to keep his thoughts separate, prioritize them. Sigyn seemed to be doing well under the circumstances, so he decided to continue on with the next phase of his plan. He knew he would have no sleep until it was all over, and so he very carefully slid himself from under Sigyn and walked from their bedroom into the halls of the palace.

His feet led him to his favorite room in the palace, besides the library: Odin's trophy room. The former resting place of the Casket, this brightly lit, extremely well guarded hall was the pride and joy of Odin's reign, where all his spoils of war and gifts of peace were kept safely locked away. Loki could not help but think that he had quite a bit in common with the objects in this room; he was a living breathing jewel of war, a walking testament to Odin's victory in Jotenheim so long ago. He sighed and stood before a large white orb, picking it up and rolling it in his hands, before setting it back down, he then walked over to a large tablet and ran his thin fingers over the words carved into the stone, before glancing over at the eternal flame, and a little farther down the hall, the golden glove that held the key to ruling the universe absolutely. He walked over to it and stood before it, in awe.

"That is beautiful…What is it?"

She asked, sliding her hand into his and leaning her head on his arm. He had not realized she had followed him, but he was not at all disturbed by her presence.

"It is called the infinity gauntlet, and somehow those stones that are embedded in it make its wearer the most powerful being in this or any universe. I do not fully understand how it works, but many men would die a thousand deaths to wear that glove for just a day."

"I would never want that much power."

"Neither would I…but it is a useful tool to have at your disposal, you could bargain your way out of anything if you could offer boundless power in exchange for it."

"Is that why Odin keeps it locked away instead of wearing it himself?"

"Who can say why Odin does what he does? Certainly not me."

* * *

As he climbed the stairs to the throne the next morning, he still had not slept at all, but he was not tired, there was still too much to be done.

"Your Majesty! Lady Sif and the Warriors Three have disappeared!"

A guard informed him as he went to take his seat. It was not hard to know how they had done it or why, no, the difficult task in this would be to stall them. Surely they would tell Thor the truth and undo what Loki had just done, but he still needed time, it was far too early for Thor to return.

Then there was the problem of the frost giants, who had to enter the realm undetected by the destroyer. Even though the guardian was under his command now, an innate enchantment that even Loki could not lift was within him to protect the realm at all costs, to destroy all threats to the realm. He could not simply tell the thing to stand down, for when it detected the presence of enemies in the kingdom it acted, orders or no orders, therefore as long as the destroyer was there, there was no guarantee the frost giants would live long enough to carry out their part in Loki's plan.

And suddenly it dawned on him, how to distract Thor and the Destroyer all at the same time: pit them against one another. His own brilliance made him grin from ear to ear as he hurried out of the throne room and towards the Bifrost, casting spells and working his magic every step of the way.

* * *

Sigyn thought of Loki as soon as she woke up that morning, and was sad to find that he was already gone. His side of the bed was smooth and cold, as if he had not slept there at all. She sighed, but sat up with a new determination to put the events of the day before as far out of her mind as humanly possible. Rona wanted her to see the healers again, and to rest for at least a day, but Sigyn was not content to wallow at all. She wanted the people to see her back to normal, if nothing else it would quell their rumors and loose talk.

"Elody."

"Yes, your majesty!" Elody entered the room and bowed, fully dressed for the day and looking refreshed. "What can I do for you?"

"I wish to see to the arrangements for Myri's funeral today. I will need to dress in rather somber attire to do so, don't you think?" Elody nodded "I do too, but I believe black is too drab…and brown does nothing for me…perhaps a gown in a very dark shade of blue, not my royal blue, but…dark blue."

"Yes Maam, I will have your gowns of that color brought in at once."

"Thank you…"

Elody turned to leave, and noticed the silver box and letter on the dresser, her curiosity was piqued.

"Your majesty, may I ask what was in the beautiful box…"

"Oh, the box…I actually never got a chance to open it, or read the letter for that matter. Bring it to me."

Elody brought the box and the letter and was shooed out of the door by Sigyn, despite her best efforts to stay and find out their contents for herself. Sigyn opened the envelope and removed the letter, sitting with her back against the head board as she began to read.

_Your Most Esteemed Goddesship and Majesty,_

_There is much to tell you and yet I know not where to begin. I have wronged you in a way that is at once unforgiveable and unfathomable. I acted under the belief that I had to protect the realm, but I see now it was not my place. I should have warned you of the danger you were in and let you choose for yourself. I was honored to have you walk into my infirmary and ask for me by name…imagine my dishonor now at the betrayal I have committed against you. _

_I realize I am rambling, and you no doubt have no idea what I speak of. I, under the direction of the Allfather, lied to you about the state of your pregnancy. I knew you were with child the moment I laid eyes on you for the first time in my office. I believed it my duty to obey the will of the Allfather, his request seemed logical to protect the realm. I hide like a coward behind his name and authority, but it is truth; I Am A Coward. _

_I believed at the time that lying to you about a child I could see you so desperately wanted would be the hardest thing I ever had to do. I quickly learned how mistaken I was. The Allfather's next request of me was far more difficult to execute. But it was a task I believed needed to be done in order to protect the kingdom. The birth of a frost giant was not something Odin could oblige, and I took him at his word that it could prove disastrous for the realm….Sigyn causing you to lose your child was the single most shameful moment of my life…imagine my guilt at the discovery of the healthy Asgardian baby that had grown inside of you, it was so much that I could not bear to be there when you woke up, and have not seen you since._

_I do not expect you to ever forgive me, but I cannot live with the remorse I feel. I failed to protect you and your child before, but now I feel I must warn you to beware the Allfather, though his intentions maybe the best, his methods are at times selfish and cunning. _

_I have included indisputable proof in the box with this letter, for I know it is not your nature to believe such accusations against one you love without evidence…I never expect your forgiveness Sigyn, and I shall disappear from Asgardian society in a few short days, if you can find the strength to stomach my presence for that long. If you see fit to send the guards for me at anytime I will more than understand. _

_Open the box and Consider My Warning, I Beg You,_

_Myri. _


	18. Chapter 18

She read the letter again and again after that. She was convinced by her fifth time that she had not misread or imagined the words, and that they were actually there, written in Myri's neat and sprawling hand on the off white piece of parchment. The black ink of the letters blurred before her eyes as she began to take in what the letter said. She had been pregnant; the child was now dead, as a result of Myri's actions, actions which were sanctioned by the Allfather himself. Her mind could form no thoughts as she looked towards the box, she did not try to imagine what the evidence could be, and was so deeply unnerved by the letter that distinguishing between truth and lies, possibility and impossibility was the last thing on her mind. She was too dazed to be in disbelief, doubt or denial. She was stunned, numb, and unable to begin to know what to do next.

It was a deep and mind bending shock that overcame her, and she felt as though she were in a trance as she lowered the letter onto her lap and reached for the box she had been gazing at. The silver lid blended perfectly with the rest of the box, and would not open unless a small lever hidden in the design on a side of the box was pulled. Sigyn fumbled for it, her shock waning a little in the wake of the apprehension that slowly came over her.

Her awareness suddenly became sharp and acute once again as the lid of the box sprang open. She lifted it higher and peered inside, barely glimpsing the small linen wrapped figure inside before throwing the box across the room and falling off of the bed in her attempt to get as far away from it as possible. She let out a few desperate cries in spite of herself and scurried backwards into the nearest corner. She could not stop her tears or form sentences, her emotions were raw and comingled, sorrow mixed with anguish, disbelief with rage, confusion with utter remorse. Her ladies rushed into the room, tried to pry her from the corner and get her to tell them what had happened. She was unable to move, her sobs and cries the only sound that escaped her. And as the guards came in and lifted her up to carry her to the healing room, Elody alone noticed the open letter on the bed, and the beautiful silver box on its side on the floor, with the tiniest hand she had ever seen spilling out of it.

* * *

Loki walked slowly across the Bifrost, fully prepared to have another disagreement with Heimdall about the portal. He was in no mood for a lecture or a long barrage of accusations, and had brought with him a weapon against such tactics. He had not intended to relieve the gatekeeper of his duties, and had not expected him to advance upon him after he did so, but Heimdall learned once again that where Loki was concerned he could never know and see all. The icy blast of the Casket was sufficient to stop Heimdall in his tracks, and Loki was pleased to see it, having come to the very end of his patience and gratitude towards the dutiful servant of Asgard. Perhaps the gatekeeper would forgive him in the end…perhaps everyone would understand him a little better, maybe even trust him, once the entire plan became clear to them all.

But if they didn't it did not matter, for in the end the realm would be safe forever, and Odin would know why. These were the thoughts that went through his mind as he opened the portal and sent the Destroyer, now his Destroyer, through with very clear instructions.

"Ensure my brother does not return…yet."

* * *

Elody entered the now empty bedroom and was amazed at the beauty of it, for all its silver and gold furniture shined brightly in the rays of the suns. It was spectacular and yet, she cried as she thought of her kind and loving mistress, lying silent and still in a bed in the healing room. She wiped away her tears and walked across the room, picking the letter up from the floor as she went. She could not resist reading it, yet wished she never had when she was finished. She fought the urge to tear the vile thing into a million pieces, but instead placed it back into its envelope and hid it in Sigyn's nightstand drawer.

It was pure terror that flooded her as she walked to where the box laid, for she had never seen or touched a dead thing before. She shut her eyes tightly as she lifted the box, and shook it a little before closing the lid securely again and hiding it under Sigyn's side of the bed. She sat on the floor for a moment and tried to think of what to tell the King, He would ask for Sigyn first thing when he came back, and she could not bear to tell him….In all truth she was as terrified of him as she was infatuated by him.

But if Sigyn did not awake, she would have to tell the story, for no one else knew, and she did not presume to think she could lie to the God of Lies.

It was all too much to handle. Too much for a young maiden to bear, and as she grabbed her cloak and ran out of the doors from their bedroom, through the halls of the palace and out onto the streets of Asgard she wept for abandoning her kind and loving mistress at a time when she needed her desperately.

* * *

"By the moons and stars! Healer what has happened to her?"

Sigyn laid motionless on the bed, her eyes open, unblinking, fixed on some point before her. Her lips moved, slowly, but no sound came out and tears ran down her expressionless face. Frigga stooped by her bed and held her face in her hands, trying to get Sigyn to focus on her.

"Sigyn. Sigyn! It's Frigga, it's Mother, my love, please look at me…Sigyn? Healer what has happened to her?"

"She is in shock your majesty, I believe the events of yesterday took their toll on her."

"But she seemed fine last night."

"A delayed reaction…perhaps she reflected on the ordeal and relived the trauma. It is difficult to say."

"What can be done?"

"We know not, maam. We must simply wait and see."

"_Wait and see? WAIT AND SEE!" _Her voice bellowed and seemed to shake the walls of the healing room "This is no common citizen you speak of; she is my daughter, the princess of this kingdom and Goddess of these realms. You will not wait and see, you will find a solution for her. You will do nothing other than look for a solution for her, you and every miserable colleague you have here, or by all the power of the Allfather himself, you will go before the council, and you will be subjected to such horrors as to make death seem inviting to you." The horrified look on the healer's face made Frigga soften her tone and demeanor in an instant. "I apologize, gentle citizen. Your Queen is at the end of her rope. My family is in turmoil, and with every situation I am less and less able to help them…so I have been reduced to making idle threats to those who have done their very best to aid me."

"I more than understand Maam, we will work diligently to heal her, Maam."

"Send for Hugo, he may know a spell that could help. And Sir Iwaldi should be here, and her sisters as well."

"What about the King, Maam?"

"The King should be left in the dark about this as long as possible…do not think to lie to him, but simply avoid the mention of Sigyn all together."

* * *

Loki paced back and forth before the portal; hours had passed since he sent the destroyer to Earth and sent word to the Jotun that it was safe to cross into Asgard. What was taking them so long to oblige him he had no idea, but a pit in his stomach nagged him with worry…what if they somehow intended to double cross him? It was one possibility he had not fully considered. He had resolved himself to another visit to their icy planet when suddenly the whirl and light of the portal began to spin, and out of it came the menacing figures of Laufey and his foot-soldiers. Loki beamed at them,

"Father! Welcome to Asgard."

* * *

"She responds to none of these spells. I do not believe magic is the answer to this condition."

"Nonsense, your magic heals all," said a frantic and uneasy Lofn "she needs you. I thought you were the most skilled sorcerer in the realm!"

Syn sat quietly holding Sigyn's hand and weeping, Iwaldi sat stoic in a dark corner, trying to hold in his emotions. Frigga hugged Lofn in an attempt to calm her.

"He does his best."

"She must awaken…that is all I mean to say. And why is Loki not here, he would wake her…Wouldn't he?" She felt herself relax in the Queen's embrace, and suddenly she felt the urge to sob and declare her love for her sister. She instead followed her impulse to push the Queen away, and walked towards the door of the room "I will not sit idly by and watch her histrionics…her need for attention is endless, and I for one am not inclined to feed into it."

She left with her nose stuck high in the air, both to give her an uncaring appearance and to stop the tears she could no longer suppress from being seen by those she passed on her way out. Frigga looked after her in pity, for she understood the girl's true feelings despite her best efforts to hide them.

Hugo looked desperately through his bag of potions, examined his scrolls meticulously searching for an answer to wake Sigyn from her sleep. Iwaldi stood from his chair and placed a hand on the teacher's shoulder. Hugo looked up at him, a little startled, and followed him into the hallway, away from the ears and eyes of Syn and Frigga.

"You have done all you can do Hugo, however it seems even you have no answer."

"That is true, but I could not rest unless I knew I had done _everything_…This baffles me. I have never seen such a state that was not magically induced…but this seems natural, and that deeply frightens me."

"It frightens you? Why?"

He saw the worry in the father's eyes and hesitated to go on, considering lying to the nobleman but quickly thinking better of it. He deserved to know the truth of his daughter's condition.

"I am no healer, and therefore I have no expertise to speak of on matters such as these."

"Nonsense, you are the Scholar of the Realms. You have expertise to speak on anything, especially matters such as these."

"I am humbled by your confidence in me, Sir Iwaldi. I would be reluctant to speak on any such case, but especially Sigyn…she is special to me and has been since her childhood." His voice trailed off as he thought of the brilliance she'd possessed from such an early age, how she quickly assuaged his misgivings about being a child's tutor with her intelligence and eagerness to learn and be taught. "I believe she is in this state as a reaction to some trauma, as the Healers have said, but I do not believe it is the trauma of her ordeal yesterday. It is possible, of course, but she was able to defend herself against Theoric, and so it was not so much traumatic to her as frightening."

"Well what else could have caused this?"

"I do not know. Something has devastated her, but until she wakes up there is no way to know for sure. The mortals experience breaks very similar to this, but they are usually caused by grief, some type of devastating and irreparable loss….but of course Sigyn has not experienced that." Iwaldi closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, perishing the thought that crossed his mind. "Do not fear, Sir Iwaldi, she is more than strong, I have no doubt she will awaken in her own time. She needs rest. Her mind needs time to process all that has happened."

"More has happened to the girl in the last few days than you could ever know or imagine Hugo. I would understand if she never recovered."

"She must recover…But I agree with your other daughter, though her name escapes me now-"

"Lofn,"

"Yes, I agree with her that Loki should be here. They have a connection that is astonishing, I do not know if he could wake her, but his presence would be a comfort to her I'm sure."

"Loki has a kingdom to run. He would be devastated to see her in such a state. He could very well end up in a bed next to her… and then Asgard would then be ruler less."

* * *

Rona had spent but a few minutes in the healing room with the others, just long enough to hear of Sigyn's condition and how she had gotten there, before she rounded up Sigyn's ladies and guards and demanded a fully detailed account of the events of that morning. No one dared cross the beautiful yet stern looking woman with the white hair and the well jeweled fingers. No one wanted to feel the sting of those jewels across their face, and so they told her everything.

"She was sitting alone in her bedroom."

"We were preparing her gowns for the day. Elody said she wanted to wear dark blue, to plan her friend's funeral."

"Then she cried out, and we all went running into the room."

"She was screaming in a corner, crying and screaming. She did not say why…she could not."

"They called us in and we carried her to the healing room."

None of this was much help to Rona, and as she stood in the middle of the bedroom, in the now fading light of the setting sun, she let her eyes wander over the room a last time. She had searched the bed, remaking it as she searched the mattress and sheets for any clue as to what had set Sigyn off. She looked in the nightstand drawer, saw nothing unusual within it, and quickly closed it again. She looked in every wardrobe, in the bathroom, in every corner of the room, and found nothing. It was very disheartening, for she so desperately believed that if she could know what had upset the girl so, she could then help to bring her out of her current state.

She sat on the bed and opened the nightstand once again, running her hand across the letters and pens and small pieces of jewelry that were in it. It seemed unfathomable that any of this could have hurt her. Rona stood to leave, glancing over her shoulder and scanning the room once more before leaving. It was rare that Rona left a room or a situation in defeat. She did not like the feeling of it much at all.

* * *

Laufey stalked through the halls of the palace in deep concentration and fully focused on his target. His soldiers could have their fun terrorizing the citizens once the mission was accomplished. He had made himself very clear; no one was to be harmed until after Odin was dead.

He was single-minded in this, blasting past the guards at the door to Odin's sleep chambers. He ignored the screams and protests of the Queen, who had sat speaking to her husband of Sigyn's condition, pleading with him to wake up if he could, telling him how desperately his _kingdom_, his _family _needed him. He ignored the presence of his son, for the scrawny little disappointment had come to the end of his usefulness to him. Laufey did not even take a moment to savor the fact that he was in the home of his mortal enemy, reasoning that there would be time, soon enough, to bring the opulent Palace of Odin down.

'First things first.'

He thought, as he stood over Odin, a hideous grin spread across his jagged, menacing face as he began to speak.

"It is said you can still see and hear what transpires around you, even in this state. I hope it's true, so that you may know your death came by the hand of Laufey.

He raised his blade, slowly, relishing in the fact that he would finally accomplish everything he had promised his people, his father. He would shake the stigma of his surrender to another, by killing not only his oldest foe, but the most naturally powerful being in the realms. The joy of revenge pulsed through his entire body; he was relieved, and could only imagine what the moments after Odin's death would feel like. Imagine his shock at the searing pain in his body, which came seemingly from nowhere, until he recognized the white light that enveloped him, as he had seen it do to so many of his soldiers, all those years ago. He fell to the ground, unable to move or speak as the last signs of life went out of his body, but he could still hear.

"And your death came by the son of Odin."

Loki watched his father die and wanted to smile, laugh even. But there was no time, the other frost giants in the room had quickly overcome the shock of the death of their king, and now advanced upon Loki, who had no second thoughts about firing Gungnir again, this time at the soldier nearest him. He flew into a wall and fell dead upon the floor. His comrade advanced more quickly, Loki would have no time to fire at him, and so he readied himself for hand to hand combat with the beast. He was surprised to see the eyes of his foe go wide in pain and surprise, for he had not cast a spell or thrown a weapon. Yet as the beast fell to his knees, Loki got a clear view of his mother, withdrawing her own sword, now bloodied, from the back of the frost giant. He was amazed, startled, and undeniably relieved, especially as she dropped her sword to the ground and took her son into her arms.

"I swear to you, mother, they will pay for what they have done today. I will end the Jotun threat, now and forever!" He looked to the still sleeping Odin and made another promise "And I will make you proud."

Frigga gazed at him with more pride and love than he could ever remember seeing in her before, which set Loki aback just a little. And as he crashed through the doors of the bedroom, and saw Loki and Frigga amongst the dead frost giants and the sleeping Odin, Thor was surprised to see it as well. How could she be proud of him after what he had done? How could Loki end up their hero after the chaos he had caused? He did not have to wonder long, though, about whether he had been replaced as the favorite son in the kingdom's eyes.

"THOR!"

Frigga let go of Loki and rushed into Thor's arms with all the excitement and enthusiasm of a teenage girl. Even so, Thor could only stare at Loki, who shook off the hurt he felt at their mother's over reaction to Thor's return. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of Mjolnir in his hand, and fought the urge to scoff and roll his eyes. He had risked his reputation and life, and murdered his own father to protect Asgard and the realms, yet Thor was the one worthy to rule and yield Mjolnir.

"Found its way back to you, did it?"

"No thanks to you," Frigga looked at Loki quizzically, as Thor went on "Why don't you tell her how you sent the Destroyer to kill our friends? To kill me?"

"They are your friends. And if I had sent the destroyer to kill you, you would be dead. It was simply enforcing Father's last command."

"You are a talented liar brother…you always have been."

"You act as though you never knew me…but in truth you never really did. Neither did I…But at any rate; _it is good to have you back." _He seethed with a smile on his face, suddenly enraged at the fact that they did not understand, and that now that Thor was here, nothing he had done would really matter…but he still had to finish it. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to destroy Jotenheim."

He fired Gungnir at full force into Thor's chest, and sent his brother flying through two walls and a floor into the reflecting pool below. He ignored Frigga's demands for an explanation as he walked down the halls, found his loyal horse and headed across the rainbow bridge to the portal.

* * *

Sif made her way with her friends to the healing room, and left them in the capable hands of the healers. As she walked out, she was stunned to Sigyn lying still in a bed in a room all alone. She walked in and stood at her side, taking her hand and kneeling by the bed. Sigyn did not move, she did not respond to her touch or react to her presence in the room. Sif cursed the tears she felt welling up in her eyes, and cursed herself, since she had practically wished something like this upon the goddess in the last words she had said to her.

"Sigyn what has happened to you? Who did this to you?"

Sigyn stared away, her eyes unfocused, and did not respond at all to the questions. Sif squeezed her hand as hard as she could, remembering from her training that pain was often effective in waking someone from a stupor…She squeezed the hand as hard as she dared, afraid of breaking it if she used all of her strength. Sigyn did not seem to notice at all. Sif then remember the pressure point Sigyn had found on her wrist during their fight, and knew that was the easiest way to inflict pain without causing damage. She pulled Sigyn's wrist from the bed, kissed it softly and whispered an apology to her friend before wrapping her fingers around the wrist pressing down on what she hoped was the correct spot.

She flinched a little as the pain set in, her eyes narrowed on Sif and she tried to pull away, lifting her other arm slowly and grabbing her hair, although she was too weak to pull it.

"Let go of me!"

She demanded, surprised by how small and soft her voice was, when she meant it to be forceful and threatening. Sif obliged and called for the healers to come in, beaming all the while. She apologized to Sigyn for everything, resisting the urge to say I told you so and tell the tale of their battle with the Destroyer on Earth, to inform her of all of Loki's lies to Thor, and his involvement with the frost giants…there would be plenty of time for that when she was well.

The healers barraged her with questions and medicines, shooing Sif out the room as they worked on Sigyn. She was sitting up in bed, refusing to say what had happened before she began screaming, when Frigga burst into the room.

"Oh It Is True! Oh Sigyn, this is wonderful….You are all right, Thor has returned, Odin is awake…we are all safe."

"Yes I suppose my Queen."

She spoke in a monotone, none of the life and joy she had possessed in her voice. Frigga did not take the time to notice.

"Now once Thor and Loki stop fighting we can get to the bottom of everything that has happened and move on."

"Why are they fighting?"

"I am unsure. But Odin is with them, so all will be sorted out soon enough."

"Odin is with them? Where?"

"On the Bifrost, but I have questions of my own to ask you."

"They shall have to wait."

* * *

Her strength was back in full as she transported herself from the healing room to the edge of the Bifrost. She could see Loki and Thor in battle with each other on the other side of the portal, and not very far in front of her was Odin, making his way to his sons. She ran to him and grabbed his arm, the power of the spinning portal, and the atmosphere of the bridge, blowing her hair and her nightdress in the wind. She opened her mouth to speak, but had no idea where to begin or what to ask. He would have an explanation, no doubt, but she was unsure that she wanted to hear it.

Thor and Loki did not notice their presence on the bridge as they sized each other up from their positions in the domed observatory. Thor had tried to stop Loki from destroying Jotenheim with words and reasoning, trying to employ what he had learned from his time on earth, trying to understand what had turned his wise and logical brother into this insane and confrontational maniac that stood before him now. Then Loki made a snide comment about Jane and all his resolve to not fight left him in an instant. Loki wielded Gungnir expertly, nearly sending Thor through the Bifrost to die on Jotenheim. But of course Mjolnir saved him, and gave him the upper hand. It was a savage fight after that, one that sent them through the roof of the dome and threw them onto the bridge on the other side. Loki slid too far and dangled off its side, pleading with his eyes as they met Thor's.

"Brother, please!"

It wasn't until his hand went through his wrist that Thor realized this Loki was just an illusion…The real Loki stood behind him, free of all obligations, loyalty, love, and respect, free of all feelings of affection towards him, and perfectly free to stab him through the chest with Gungnir, lift him into the air, and hurl him farther down the bridge.

He had to gloat over his brother in a grand fashion, and could think of no better way to do so than to stand with an army of himself over the Golden Prince and laugh. Thor was confused by the hundreds of Loki's, frantically waving Mjolnir at them, and each time hitting nothing. His frustration made him more determined, as he harnessed the energy of lightning, used Mjolnir to fly, and then struck all the Loki's, even the real Loki, and threw him back across the bridge.

He awoke dazed, to find Thor staring helplessly at the Bifrost, all of its energy building and pointing directly at Jotenheim, while he himself was pinned under the weight of Mjolnir.

"Look at you, the Mighty Thor. All your strength, what good does it do you now? You are powerless to stop it, and why should you…Let them die…They deserve to die!"

He said nothing, instead summoned Mjolnir and once again summoned the power of thunder and lightning to charge it. He then brought it crashing down on the bridge, to Loki's horror, sending a shake through the entirety of it and causing a crack to form.

Odin and Sigyn took their eyes off of each other and looked down as the bridge beneath them shook. They quickly turned to see what was happening between Thor and Loki.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Loki bellowed at Thor's back, Thor ignored him and struck the bridge again and again. As Sigyn started to run to them, Odin grabbed her arm and stopped her. She looked at his hand on hers and then lifted her head slowly, giving him a look of warning. He eased his grip and she snatched away. "If You Destroy The Bridge, You Will Never See Her Again!"

She ran across, Odin close behind her, in time to see Loki grab Gungnir and approach Thor just as Thor finally broke through the bridge, severing it and sending a blast of energy into the universe. Odin shielded Sigyn from the blinding white light; the two of them laid on the bridge and waited for the heat of the energy to die down before they dared to look up. As the Bifrost fell into the nothingness below, Sigyn cried out as she saw Thor and Loki fall off the bridge as well, holding either side of Gungnir as they went.

Odin moved faster than Sigyn thought him capable of doing, and she was right behind him. He leapt and as he did so caught Thor's foot just before it went completely out of his reach. Sigyn kneeled at the now jagged edge of the bridge and helped to pull him up, stopping suddenly as her eyes met Loki's.

She looked beautiful in the light of the bridge, her hair was still blowing in the wind, completely wild, and he had always loved that silk nightgown she wore. This would be a good way to remember her. He actually felt lucky. She could see on his face that he was planning to do something, for it was clear that he was not content to simply be pulled to safety, and she was terrified.

She thought she saw him wink at her as his eyes left hers and locked onto Odin's.

"I could have done it Father! For you…for all of us!"

"No, Loki."

She cringed to hear the finality in Odin's tone, and saw that Loki had heard that and more just by looking into his eyes. He kept his gaze on his father as he let go of the sword and began to fall silently towards the storm of energy and the void that loomed beneath him. She lunged forward to grab him, although it was hopeless, and would have fallen off the bridge herself had Odin not grabbed her leg.

"NO!"

She was surprised to hear Thor's anguished cry, for she could not form one of her own. She had honestly thought that the worst shock of her life was the letter and the box. Now she knew better.

"It is all right Son," He said, cradling Thor in his arms and soothing him "It is over now."

Thor hung his head in grief, and then lifted it quickly, remembering Sigyn's presence. She again kneeled at the edge of the bridge, staring down into the darkness below. It was all she could do not to stretch her legs over the edge and slide herself off.

"Sigyn, please, come away from there."

He reached for her hand; she took it and allowed him to pull her into his arms. He helped her stand and the three of them walked slowly away from the break in the bridge, back towards Asgard.

* * *

If Frigga was at all disturbed by the news of Loki's fall she hid it well as she gave orders and directions to her house staff to prepare the hall for a feast which would take place that very night. The kingdom could mourn later; they had been through too much and deserved a feast, what better occasion than to celebrate the return of the prince, and rightful heir to the throne. This was the reasoning Odin had given her, and rather than argue with him, she obliged.

But beneath the façade she wore was a heart in disrepair. Her son was surely dead, and Sigyn, why no one had seen or heard from Sigyn since the night before. She had returned to her father's house, and shut herself away in her room there. She would not eat; she would not permit her ladies to enter, or anyone else for that matter. Syn had come to the Queen very early that morning in tears, speaking of the stoic look upon her sister's face as she walked into their palace and headed up the stairs, without so much as a word to any of them, though they all lavished her with hugs and kisses and marveled at her recovery.

Frigga put it all out of her mind and as she tasted the food and wine for the feast. She preoccupied every minute of her time and would not permit herself to be alone; she knew it was the only way she would be able to get through this.

* * *

Thor knocked on the door to Iwaldi Palace and was surprised to see Lofn answer it herself.

"Where are the servants?"

"Lazing about as usual, they take advantage of my Father's worry for Sigyn."

"Are you worried?"

"Not at all. Sigyn will recover, she always does. And look, she has you here, paying her a visit first thing on the morning of your return to Asgard. I will never worry for Sigyn; she has enough people to care for her."

"She lost her husband last night Lofn. She suffers greatly."

"Well…I am certain you will be more than able to alleviate her suffering, Thor. I have absolutely no doubt."

He brushed past the jealous hearted and cold Lofn and made his way up the staircase and down the upper halls of the palace. Servants bowed before him and welcomed him back; he acknowledged them all, very graciously. He was suddenly nervous at Sigyn's door, and knocked as gently as he knew how.

"I want nothing. Leave me."

"Sigyn open the door." He waited for a response "I will break it down if you do n-"

But he had no need to finish the threat, for the knob turned and the door opened slightly. He pushed it open the rest of the way and was very surprised to find Sigyn sitting at her desk reading a book. She was not distraught or sad, she looked detached. Not at all happy, but not at all the mess he had expected to find.

"I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about Midgard. The people fascinate me. They have accomplished so much in so short a time; building entire cities, electricity, this television thing, the internet! They have made magic without magic, or so it seems to me. I am truly amazed by them."

"Sigyn…I know you must be devastated about Loki."

"Yes. I am. It is why I have thrown myself into these books and locked myself away from the kingdom."

"But that is not a solution, and all is not lost. Loki could have survived the fall, and if he did he will find a way back to us…to you especially."

"How sweet of you Thor, you have truly become everything we thought you could." He smiled a small smile at the compliment and kissed her hand "But I know for a fact that Loki is dead."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"His heart rhythm no longer exists; I cannot communicate with his mind or read his thoughts. His spirit is gone as though it never existed. He is dead Thor." It was as horrible for her to say as it was for him to hear, and neither one of them could look at the other, as they focused their efforts on not crying. "I spent all the rest of last night trying to hear him, and speak to him, but it was in vain. Not so much as a heartbeat came through."

"That cannot be. Father cannot know that, he would never be planning a feast if he knew that Loki was dead."

"You should not be so quick to say what your father would never do."

"What?"

"Ask him Thor. Ask him just what he is capable of…particularly where Loki is concerned."

"I know you love him, but there is no justification for what Loki did. He tried to kill me, he tried to destroy Jotenheim, and he brought the frost giants into Asgard. I loved him too, but we cannot blame Fa-"

"Oh yes we can. And I do. This is his fault, Thor. Perhaps he will tell you the truth of it and perhaps he will not. But you have no idea how heavy his hand is in all of this."

"This is grief speaking for you Sigyn. Rest."

"Thor, you do not have to believe me. Ask _your _father."

She asked him to leave and he obliged. She closed the door to her room tightly, leaned against it and sighed, closing her eyes for the first time in hours. She could still see his face as he let go, see his body which had looked so small as he fell further and further away from her. It was hard when she thought he would just be gone forever, but knowing that he was dead was unbearable to her. She opened her eyes before she let the sadness overwhelm her. She tried not to see the room, for every inch of it reminded her of him. How they used to practice magic here, how he would walk up the side of the palace in the middle of the night and knock on her balcony doors when he needed to talk her at an unreasonable hour. How he would often appear as a bug or some other small animal after he learned to transform himself. Everything there held a memory for her of when they were small, and all the time before they were married. It was amazing now how much time they had spent together; it had to add up to hundreds of years, maybe even thousands. Asgardian gods had no real estimation of their age in terms of years; appearance was a far more accurate way to tell how long someone had been around.

She had to sigh again because of the realization that there was nowhere in Asgard that she could go and not be haunted by memories of him. They had been everywhere together, done everything together, and so it was impossible to escape him in the kingdom. She resigned herself to it as she sat back at her desk and read about Midgard and the people who lived there. She promised herself that she would not have to suffer through it for very long…


	19. Chapter 19

Thor suppressed his urge to barge into the council room and instead walked in with an air of calm and confidence that deftly covered the confusion within him. He was happy to smile and nod as the council members welcomed him back and shook his hands. They filed out of the room in their dignified and orderly way, and Odin sat in his rather large chair at the head of the table, motioning for Thor to sit with him.

"It is a good day for the realm Son. Loki was able to accomplish some extraordinary things in my absence, some of them very good."

"That is precisely why I am here. Sigyn –"

"She grieves him, I know, Iwaldi informed me that she refuses to leave her bedroom. I feel for her very deeply."

"Indeed, but I spoke with her this morning. She is convinced that he is dead. She can no longer sense any part of him, even with her powers."

"Nonsense…the boy fell is all! There is absolutely no way of knowing for sure that he is dead….I cannot imagine anything that _could _kill him. The girl is mistaken."

"She seems certain of it, Father."

Odin stood slowly from his seat and turned his back to Thor, looking at the ground beneath him in disbelief. He saw nothing of the black marble floor, only the reflection of himself within it, stronger than he had been in ages, perfectly well rested, and unbearable to look at. To cast the final blow to his younger son's already fragile sense of worth was a thing he had deemed necessary to ensure that he would never again risk so much for so little. He had seen and heard all of Loki's actions as king, and more than that, he completely understood the reasoning behind them, but nevertheless they were wrong. However well intentioned and driven by ambition he had been, the actions he took were deplorable, Odin could think of no reasoning orjustification that could make it better.

And yet, the hypocrisy of it did not escape the regretful king and father, knowing the actions he had taken not many days before to protect the realm from a threat that turned out to be nothing less than imaginary. Actions that were far more detrimental and irreversible than anything Loki had done: actions that were not his to take and actions that had destroyed something beyond value, especially now that Loki was dead. It was difficult to admit that he had been so irrevocably wrong, but the guilt of it was something he was prepared to bear for all eternity, in secret. However the look in Sigyn's eyes as she had stopped him on the bridge was so furious, so irate, that he knew beyond any doubt that she knew what he had done.

Before the fall of his son he would have gladly sacrificed _anything_ to protect the kingdom. He would never have apologized for it, never felt even a twinge of remorse. Now, his world was put into sharp perspective, and his priorities were clear. Too late for Loki and the baby, but not too late for those he loved who remained.

"Father, are you all right?"

He had forgotten Thor's presence as he gazed into the floor and reflected on his remorse. He turned slowly to face him and gave him a small and reassuring smile.

"Better than that. You have returned to me a new man, I have regained my strength, and the noble actions of my youngest son have alleviated one of the greatest threats the realms have ever known. If Sigyn is certain of his death, I am sure she has great reason to be….And he shall be hailed in this kingdom for exactly what he was; a hero."

"A hero?! Father he tried to kill me!"

There was no anger in Thor's tone, no malice, and no self righteous indignation. He was simply confused.

"He did no such thing Thor. He would not have needed to send the destroyer to kill you; there were many other more practical ways to do that while you were powerless on Midgard. Killing you was never a part of his plan." Odin placed his hands lovingly on his son's shoulders and looked down into his eyes. Thor was put off by the gesture, so sudden and uncharacteristically affectionate. "Loki acted to protect all of us, but he knew he had to act alone to do it. He used every resource he had and acted in spite of the betrayal and hurt he held in his heart."

"Betrayal?"

"Sit Thor, for I have much to tell you…things you both should have been aware of long ago."

* * *

News of Loki's fall spread through the kingdom like wildfire, as did the story of his battle with Thor, who, according to the story told by the citizens, after killing Laufey threw his little brother off of the Bifrost as punishment for bringing the frost giants into Asgard. By the time Odin's official account of the story, detailing Loki's heroic and selfless acts as king, had been distributed to the citizen's of Asgard, it was far too late. They deemed Odin's explanation the musings of an old and grieving father, and held their version as true.

Not that either story was the complete truth, for both embellished and omitted many of the details of what had really happened. When it was announced that the entire kingdom was welcome to attend a feast to celebrate the return of Thor, all were shocked. Would there be no memorial, no days of mourning, no reflection at all for the fallen younger prince? Had he truly sinned badly enough against the realm that his father would give him no remembrance save a letter that attempted to redeem him in the eyes of the people?

Sif sat at the end of the bar in the drinking hall and called for another pint. She felt her eyelids growing heavy and her thought process beginning to slow. Another beer or two, or three, and she could possibly pass out. It was the only way she knew of that she could even begin to sleep.

They sat yelling about it, talking endlessly about Loki and his actions. How he had singlehandedly tried to destroy the realm. They sounded like she had in the past, throwing out words like evil and ruthless in their description of him. Yet for some reason, when she heard them say it, knowing that they knew nothing of the man to make them speak in such a way, she felt the urge to grab her sword and relieve them of their tongues. All they knew him to be was the Prince of Asgard, the God of Mischief and Lies, the most obvious choice to be commander and head general of the entire army, an army he had been a warrior in, fighting in battles with many of the men who now denounced him. He had saved many of their lives at least once with the very same cunning and tricks he was accused of using to destroy the realm. They were completely out of line.

She felt no love for Loki or his memory, and she would never forgive him for sending the Destroyer after them on Midgard. She figured her annoyance with the others in the bar was just her drunkenness. It was the only logical explanation.

"That is exactly where I want to be Barmaid!" said Lofn, sitting on the stool next to Sif and pointing to the four empty mugs before her "I intend to play catch-up until I am at least that drunk."

"I intend to be still drunker."

"Here, here." She clinked her mug of frosty beer with one of Sif's empties, and took a deep gulp. "Your betrothed was at my door first thing this morning."

"Was he?"

"He was, indeed. He came to check on Her Esteemed Widow-ship!" Lofn laughed loudly at her own joke, while Sif looked at her with a quizzical expression. She stopped laughing suddenly and went on speaking in a matter of fact tone "And I say good riddance to the younger prince. Though I'm sure you'll agree that he was _beautiful_ to look at…he, however, was a real live bastard in every other sense!"

"I suppose."

"No, no, no. Look, if we're going to be drinking together, you have to give me more than that! Communicate, commiserate…or drink alone."

"You sat next to me. If you want a talking head, the room is full of them, and Loki is the topic of the hour."

"Loki…well at least for once it is not Sigyn. Their deep and unending love…its ended now, isn't it?!"

"It appears to be."

"That's more like it Sif!" She exclaimed, pausing to take another drink from her mug. "And do you know why he was such a bastard?"

"Oh, yeah."

"No I don't think you do. But I'll tell you. He would walk around… but then again he never really did walk did he? He more like…_sauntered_…that's the word. He would saunter around here like he was better than everyone and everything, he would look down his nose at everyone, except his family, and of course _her."_

"He loved her."

"Surprisingly enough, but _everyone_ loves her, that's not the point! The point is he was so damned arrogant, like he owned the place, when he never even had the right to be here. He was just plucked out of the wreckage of Jotenheim and made a prince….Meanwhile I was born a true Asgardian, to a noble family, and still am treated like a leper in society…He was a frost giant you know?"

"Perhaps you have had enough." Sif said, looking over at Lofn and meeting her gaze, realizing for the first time how red and swollen her eyes were. "I will walk you to Iwaldi Palace."

"NO!" Lofn yelled, jumping off her stool and standing out of Sif's reach "It is true! I am not drunk! He Was A Frost Giant!"

Many eyes in the room lingered on Lofn, and for the first time in her life she had the undivided attention of a crowd of people.

"Lofn please! Lower your voice and stop this!"

"My maids heard it from the Queen's ladies who heard it from the mouth of the Queen herself. They were just outside her tea parlor when they heard her majesty and my sister speaking…the King himself took Loki from Jotenheim as a baby, no one knew but the King and Queen. Thor still does not know."

Sif turned around in her chair and finished the last few sips left in her mug. She wanted to hear no more of this, and was disgusted by the spectacle Lofn was making of herself. As she stood to leave, Lofn reclaimed her seat, beaming with pure joy as the crowd surrounded her to hear more of her story.

* * *

Sigyn closed her book, grabbed a small pair of shears, and walked to the full length mirror in her washroom. She looked at the length of her hair and shrugged her shoulders. She had much to mourn, and therefore, no qualms at all about cutting her long and luminous raven locks. Her hair fell to the floor, covering her feet as it landed, and began to form a large pile. She continued cutting until all of its length was gone, until she could only just barely pinch it with her fingers in the back and sides, leaving it a bit longer in the front, just enough to run her fingers through. It was a reckless and pointless act that changed absolutely nothing and made her feel no better, yet once she had done it, she smiled at her reflection. She liked it.

She ran herself a bath and removed the nightgown she had worn for two days now. As she sat in the tub and closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of her oils she remembered the small whitelinen wrapped figure in the silver box. She opened her eyes quickly and sat up in the tub, remembering now why she had not allowed herself to relax or sleep. If she did not see Loki she saw the baby, and vice versa, whenever she closed her eyes.

Even in her bathtub in her washroom she could hear the loud and aggressive knock at her bedroom door. She ignored it expertly.

"Sigyn open the door at once. The Allfather wishes to speak with you."

She could not keep her silence at the mention of Odin.

"Tell him he _will _speak to me, in time. My time."

"SIGYN! I am sympathetic to your loss, but you will not disrespect the King in such a way!"

Iwaldi scolded her from many feet away, but his voice was so loud and forceful it shook her still. Her resolve, however, was steady.

"Tell him exactly what I said, as I said it, or tell him nothing. I assure you, he will hear from me soon enough."

Iwaldi sighed and retreated down the stairs to deliver a much more appropriate message to the messenger. As he watched the young man ride down the path he shook his head and shut the door behind him, shooing away his servant who had come to see if he needed anything. He made his way down the halls of his palace, to his study, where he knew he would not be disturbed, and shut the door. His own grief was deep and persistent, but his worry for his daughter was much more pressing on his heart and the sound of her voice did nothing to make him feel better.

'_If only I had protected them both more fiercely against the good intentions of the Allfather…'_

He thought to himself as he sank into a large armchair. It was all he could do to stay awake, his worry and remorse fatigued him to no end. His eyes popped open at the sound of the doorknob turning.

"Boy, you know better than to interrupt me in my study!"

"I have been called many things Father, but never 'Boy'."

His eyes grew wide in shock as she stood before him, bathed in the sunlight that shown through the enormous window of his study. Her radiant skin seemed to shimmer; her voluptuous body seemed taller and thinner now that her neck and shoulders were exposed by her shocking lack of hair. Neither the plain black cloth dress she wore nor the haircut did a thing to take away from her beauty.

"Sigyn."

He overcame his surprise and hung his head. It was one of the saddest things he had seen, to see his feminine and innocent daughter transformed into a mourn stricken widow.

"Do not fret over me Father. I will be all right."

"Your hair…."

"I felt suddenly very much encumbered by it. So I cut it off."

"Sigyn." He repeated, unable to ignore the frantic way her eyes darted around the room, not lingering on anything for very long. She walked to the other sitting chair in the room and sat down, resisting the urge to sink into its soft brown leather and rest. "Sigyn, I wish to offer my sympathy to you, but I believe you are over-reacting. Loki could return at any moment."

"He is dead."

Her tone was nowhere near as matter of fact as it had been when she informed Thor of this. Now her voice wavered, her eyes welled up, and she involuntarily wrung her hands in an effort to focus on anything else besides how badly she wanted to cry.

"How can you know that?"

"The same way I know that Mother is dead."

"Oh, Sigyn."

"Repeating my name will not change me back into who I used to be Father."

"Are you very much changed then?"

"Of course I am. Look at me." She stood before him again and gestured to her hair and dress. "Do I look like the Princess of Asgard, the Goddess of…what is it?"

"Loyalty and Bonds."

"Loyalty and Bonds….He knew exactly what he was doing with that one didn't he?"

"Who?"

"Odin. Who else Father?" She sank into the chair once more, this time allowing her head to rest against its high back and fixing her gaze upon the ceiling. She had always loved the dark wood ceiling in her father's study; it was so simple compared to the enchanted ceilings in the Odinsonn's palace. "Loyalty and Bonds. To bind me to his will for all eternity, and ensure my loyalty to this kingdom no matter what."

"Do you blame the Allfather for Loki's…fall?"

She looked away from the ceiling and gazed at her Father, realizing he had no idea of her true quarrel with the King. She did what she could to soften the look upon her face, and reclaim the innocence and serenity Iwaldi was used to seeing there. She did not want to start a war between the two old friends, and she did not wish to burden her father with the weight of the anger and betrayal that rested upon her shoulders.

"Of course not Father." She crossed the room and kneeled before him, taking his hands in hers and kissing them, before looking up into his face. For as young and strong as he still appeared, the wrinkles and lines in his handsome face gave away how long he had existed. Freya had died many, many, years ago. Time passed so slowly on Asgard, that the loss of a loved one was a pain that there was no relief from; this was the thought that entered Sigyn's mind as she gazed at Iwaldi. She would never be able to bear this kind of pain for as long as he had borne the loss of her mother, and being so very young she would have to live with it for much longer than he had. "I lash out; it is how I choose to grieve. I believe it is an alternative to truly facing what has happened…You can understand."

"Of course I can, my Daughter. I know exactly what you feel. To so suddenly lose the one you love. The only one you love." He held her face in his hands and made her focus her eyes on his. "But you can move on. If Loki is dead as you have said, mourn him Sigyn, but not forever. You are too young to give up on yourself, and you have responsibilities that no one else can fulfill. I know they are the farthest thing from your mind right now, but try to remember them as you recover from this."

She nodded her head and even managed a small smile as she stood. She kissed his forehead and turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Odin."

"Shall I come with you?"

"No, Father. The King and I have much to discuss, and they are matters that only he and I can know of."

* * *

She stole a dark brown cloak from the kitchens and hoped the servant it belonged to would not miss it too much while she was gone. She covered herself, her head and hands especially, and made her way out of a side door of her father's palace and down the long dirt road that would lead to the servant's entrance of Odin's palace. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, for looking to the left or the right would flood her head with memories of playing in those fields and woods with Loki, and sneaking back and forth between the palaces in an effort to escape Rona's watchful eye. She smiled as she thought of how that never quite worked out how they wanted it to, for Rona caught them every single time they tried it. But she stopped smiling as she realized she was remembering all of this despite her best efforts not to, and immediately hurried her pace.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door to the servant's entrance and stepped inside the dark hallway, lit by the dim light of torches even on the sunniest days in Asgard, for this area had no windows. A small flight of stairs at the end of the hallway led up to where the servants slept and in the other direction, the main kitchen of the palace. It was loud and boisterous as Sigyn walked past it. The aroma of the many foods and desserts they prepared almost made her head dizzy. If the food and the frenzy was any indication, Odin intended for this feast to be one of the most decadent in Asgardian history.

She made her way into the sunlight filled halls of the palace and squinted a little, pulling the hood of the cloak closer around her and walking with her head down past servants, noblemen and women, and members of the council who lingered in the halls hoping for a private audience with the King, Queen, or Prince. Her feet carried her exactly where she wanted to go. She pushed open the golden doors to Loki's wing of the palace and stepped inside, closing it tightly behind her.

She had not expected the rooms to be so deserted. Not one of her ladies were in their room, nor were Loki's men, or his guards, or any of the maids or servants. It was as though this wing had been abandoned by all, when just yesterday it was full of life. She did not dwell on it, for had she found them there she would have sent them all away at once, but instead she opened the door to the bedroom and stepped inside. She removed her cloak and looked apprehensively across the floor of the room. She was certain she had left the box on the floor. She could not remember much about what had happened after she opened the box and saw the wrapped up form of her baby, but she did remember throwing the box to the floor. It had to be here somewhere, for no one knew it existed except her and Myri, and Myri was dead.

She crossed the floor and got down on her hands and knees, searching beneath the wardrobe, the desk, the dressers, the vanity, and inside her closet. She could not bring herself to open Loki's closet. As she crawled across the floor towards the bed, she saw a flash of light in the small crack between the bed and the nightstand, the sunlight as it gleamed off of the silver box. She crawled faster and reached her hand under the bed, feeling the cold metal of the box in her hand as she pulled it out and stared down at it.

She sat up, leaned her back against the bed and hesitated for a moment before pulling the lever to open the lid. She prayed she was strong enough to do what she needed to do; she had no inclination to lose hold of her mind again. She pulled the lever and reached inside to lift out the tiny body, which was just big enough to fill her hand. She unwrapped the cloth just enough to expose its head and face. And there it was, a dark haired little baby, not pale like Loki or dark and unusual like Sigyn, but the normal golden skinned color of a typical Asgardian. She smiled a little in spite of herself, for although the child was not fully developed yet, it had a face, and looked to be sleeping peacefully in its mother's hand. She unwrapped the cloth a bit further out of curiosity, wanting to know the child's gender. She sighed deeply to see that it was impossible to tell, the baby had not gotten that far yet.

She looked at the tiny fingers and toes of the child, and ran a finger lovingly across its face before kissing it and wrapping it up again, placing it into the silver box and closing the lid on it for a final time. She knew she would never open the box again, and decided to give the child a funeral, even if she was the only one who could ever know of it. She thought of the best place to lay the child to rest, and suddenly knew. She focused her mind and thoughts on the garden on the grounds of their mansion in the city, and placed her hand on the lid of the box. Suddenly it was gone, transported from the palace to its final resting place in the garden. It was unceremonious and unsentimental, but it was the best she could do at the time. Now it was on to the matter of dealing with Odin, which suddenly seemed to be a rather small task.

She sent the cloak back to Iwaldi's palace with a snap of her fingers, and walked with her head held high down the halls of the palace, though everyone she passed this time fell to their knees before her and gawked at her hair, or lack thereof. She acknowledged their offers of condolences and even believed many of them, but she was unable to properly focus on any of that. All she wanted was to see Odin. She knocked at the door to his private chambers and his booming voice responded, although she thought she heard a faint crack in it.

"Who disturbs me?"

"Sigyn, your majesty."

"Oh yes of course." The door swung open and once she entered it slammed shut again. The unusual thing was the fact that it disappeared from view as soon as it was closed, leaving no way in to the room, or out. "I have a feeling we shall require impenetrable privacy for what we have to discuss."

"We have nothing to discuss. My child is dead and you killed it. I do not wish to know why, but I have a request to ask of you, which only you can grant."

"Will I have no chance to explain myself then…will you give me no chance to try and explain?"

"There Can Be No Explanation! Do you think you could sway me to see the reasoning behind you _MURDERING_ my child?"

"It was my grandchild, Sigyn, my heir -"

"Was it? You couldn't be too sure could you!"

"I did what I thought was best for all of us, you were never meant to know! I explained all of this to your father! He should never have told you!"

"My father?" Sigyn crossed the room slowly as she spoke, and looked into Odin's eyes every step of the way "My father knew of this?"

Odin's eyes grew wide in shock as he scrambled through his thoughts for a way to correct what he had said. After all the lessons he had learned, his foolish assumptions were still getting the best of him. He looked away from Sigyn's gaze and lowered his head. It was not often that the Allfather was made to feel truly ashamed of himself. Sigyn on the other hand, sank into a chair in disbelief.

"What the Hel else could possibly happen to me, I wonder? Is there not one being, one person I love or care for who will not betray me? Even Loki did, in the end, didn't he, leaving me here to deal with this alone."

"Loki knew nothing of this."

"Oh really, Odin?_ CLEARLY_ Loki knew nothing! Asgard still exists therefore I know that Loki had no idea that you ripped our child from my belly so you could be sure it was not a deformed monstrosity."

"How can you know of this? Did you read my mind? How can you possibly know?"

"It matters not how I know, simply that I know. I am not here to discuss any of this with you; rather I come to request that you relieve me of my deity and my immortality and allow me to live as a mortal on Midgard."

"You are insane with grief. Come, Daughter, you must rest." He began to come toward her, she raised a hand and stopped him in his tracks. "Undo this at ONCE!"

"I will unbind you if you swear to stay away from me." He nodded, his eyes furious with rage "I am Sigyn to you from now on, nothing more than that and certainly not daughter. Give me what I ask for, Odin. I am not insane, but I cannot bear the grief I am filled with for so long and indeterminable an amount of time as eternity." She explained herself calmly and rationally, with Odin sinking into the chair across from her to listen "I had considered my father and sisters and my duties as reason enough to try and endure, but now, they are all of little consequence."

"This is anger, Sigyn, it will subside."

"Odin, the realm is not safe with me in it in this state. Perhaps I am angry, outraged, furious, irate, livid, and all those temperamental and dangerous things. And if I am, with the powers that I possess, I am the most unstable being here. No one is safe. Take my powers and make me a mortal, Odin. I beseech you, for the realms sake as well as my own."

"The fact that you can think this clearly in grief is all the more reason for me to refuse. This will subside, you will see. You will overcome the loss of Loki and…the child…and you will marry again. Why you could and should marry Thor, you would make a wonderful Queen!"

"Now it is my turn to call _you_ insane." She stood to leave, Odin rushed to her side and reached for her arm, screaming in agony as his hand closed on her wrist, and looking down upon it after he had let go at the burned and blistered flesh there. "I asked you to stay away from me."

She continued to walk away, towards the wall where the door had once been, and healed Odin's hand as she did so. He looked in disbelief at it and then at Sigyn's back as she undid his spell on the door with the greatest of ease and left him alone in the room.

* * *

The feast hall was packed, all the citizens dressed in their finest garb, dancing merrily and stuffing themselves with the delicious food that had been laid out before them. Though the celebration was for Thor, he was hardly in the mood to celebrate. At the revelation of who and what Loki really was, he was I outraged. Outraged that anyone could lie to his little brother and hurt him so. He felt he truly understood Loki for the first time, and now his grief over the loss of him was deeper and more sharply felt than ever before. He scanned the room as he meandered through it for the one face he knew would understand, the only person he truly wanted to see, but as he had suspected she was nowhere to be found. The depths of his father's insensitivity towards her amazed him. How could he allow this celebration to go on when Loki was surely dead?

At the same time he was grateful for the party and the outpouring of love and happiness the realm showed at his return. He had been fearful they would have been relieved at his absence, or worse still they would not have noticed it at all. It wasn't until he was banished that he realized how much he cared about the citizen's opinion of him…if he was honest it was not until he got to know Jane that it became important to him what kind of man others saw him to be. But he did not want to think about Jane, for he had more than let her down.

"WELCOME BACK THOR!" Bellowed Fandral from inside a group of women "Long Live The Future King!"

Thor rolled his eyes, nodded in his direction and hurried away. He wondered what kind of fog he had been in to ever think Fandral or Volstagg were amusing company to keep. He made his way over to his mother, and turned quickly away when he saw Sif standing at her side. He did not want to be caught in another awkward moment with Sif, who was clearly jealous of his relationship with Jane.

'_All thoughts lead back to her I suppose.'_

'_It seems our beloved Thor has found love at last!'_

He smiled in spite of himself, not at all minding her intrusion into his thoughts.

'_Where are you?'_

'_Here, out on the balcony.'_

Thor made his way out onto the balcony and there she was drenched in moonlight. She wore a fine black gown, beaded from head to toe; one of her arms completely exposed the other covered in a sleeve. He looked at her short hair and frowned. She smiled sheepishly and ran her hands through it.

"It was an impulse. I got the urge…you do not like it?"

"It is unusual, but it suits you I suppose. You are still beautiful."

"And you are still charming." She held out a hand to him and he took it. "I'm sorry I read your mind, but I had to know if you knew something that I am very relieved to find you do not. I trust you completely Thor. Promise you will never lie to me."

He looked puzzled, but he nodded and she believed him, squeezing his hand gently before letting go and turning around.

"This feast is lively isn't it? They are very happy indeed."

"They are fed, and so they are happy. They know nothing of the weight we carry, the sorrow."

"They know perfectly well Thor, they simply do not care." She sighed and hung her head "They are lucky you cannot hear what I hear."

"They are indeed." He looked back at the party, saw Odin stand from his throne and raise his glass, and heard the music and the talking in the hall go quiet instantly. "Father makes a toast, we should go inside."

She turned around slowly and took his arm. They walked inside unnoticed as all eyes in the room were on Odin.

"Beloved citizens of Asgard, we call this a most joyous occasion, a celebration of the return of Thor, the Prince and heir to the throne of Asgard." A cheer erupted and all eyes suddenly turned to Thor, who kept his eyes fixed on his father and tried to reassure Sigyn with a firmer grip on her arm. Odin let them linger in their applause for a moment before continuing and causing another hush. "However glad we are to have Thor back, his return comes hand in hand with a loss beyond words, a tragedy of monumental proportions. The loss of our younger son, Loki, is a blow the Queen and I have yet to fully face, or begin to comprehend. We have not begun to grieve our child, whose heroic actions in defense of this realm cost him his very life."

The hall grew even more silent as the citizens bowed their heads and whispered prayers for Loki. Sigyn observed the unsolicited gesture in absolute shock, wondering if she had misjudged the people, if she had misread their thoughts. She did not have to wonder for long. A strong and handsome young man with golden blonde hair and deeply blue eyes looked around in bewilderment, until he could no longer contain himself.

"You Lost No Son! We Lost No Prince! He was a frost giant, he was the reason we were in danger! He deserved to die, and I say good riddance to the miserable freak!"

The looks of shock at the outburst quickly turned to horror as the entire hall watched the able bodied young man suddenly crumple into a heap on the floor. He could not move or writhe in pain, all he could do was let out a bloodcurdling scream. His spine had been removed, and the only person in the room who looked unphased was Sigyn. Her eyes bore into the pitiful heap on the floor as she crossed the vast hall to where he was and lifted him up into the air with her mind. His screams of pain became louder and the hall knew not what to be more transfixed by, the horrifying sight of this now deeply deformed man floating in air, or their kind and loving princess torturing him before their very eyes.

"Stop this at once! You are killing him!"

Cried a young girl, perhaps his lover, as she rushed towards Sigyn in an effort to knock her over. Sigyn did not even look in her direction as she raised her hand and let out a blast of pure energy, forceful enough to knock the girl and everyone near her in the hall across the room and into the nearest wall. Hundreds of people fell in a heap on the floor, and cracks and holes the size of their bodies formed in the stone wall. Sigyn let the young man fall to the ground as well, his body crumpled still and his screams of pain growing louder with each second. Odin walked up behind her, prepared to grab her arm, but suddenly thought better of it.

"Sigyn! Think of your reputation."

"I warned you."

"Do not punish the citizens for my ignorance."

"I punish them for their insolence; your ignorance has nothing to do with it." At that moment the young man let out a particularly shrill scream. Sigyn turned to him in the utmost annoyance. "If you insist on squealing I will give you reason to squeal."

The young man looked horrified and stopped making all sound immediately. She took the slightest bit of pity on him and restored his spine. It took him a few moments to realize it. She then healed the aches pains and bruises of those she'd thrown into the wall, but left the wall broken, to remind them all of what had happened.

"The celebration is over. Everyone please exit the hall, and thank you for coming."

Frigga spoke and everyone filed out of the hall. No one made a sound except the echoes of their feet hitting the floor. When the hall was empty of everyone except the Odinsonns and the Iwaldis, Odin spoke, the rage within him uncontrollable. He advanced upon Sigyn, she did not so much as flinch.

"What did you think to prove?"

"I acted out of love for his memory as you stood idly by and watched that wretch defile him."

"I wonder how they know of his true birth." Thor said, trying to change the subject. "Who could have told?"

"Lofn." Said Syn matter of factly, casting a look of disdain towards her sister. "I found her pathetic self in the drinking hall, telling everyone who would listen of dear Loki's true heritage."

Sigyn looked at Lofn, who stopped smirking and suddenly began to back away. Before Sigyn could fully cast the spell to stop her sister, Odin bellowed.

"LEAVE HER TO ME SIGYN! YOU HAVE DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH TONIGHT!"

Lofn took the moment of distraction to run from the hall and out of the palace as fast as she could. No one went after her; Iwaldi was worried sick about Sigyn, Syn was disgusted with her other sister, and Thor and Frigga sought to diffuse the tension between Odin and Sigyn.

"I have only just begun, Allfather. You have been warned."

"Control Yourself Sigyn. Do Not Push Me Any-"

"NO YOU DO NOT PUSH ME ANY FURTHER, ODIN. I Am The One On The Edge. I Am The One With Nothing To Lose. I allow you to keep the illusion of your dignity and grace. I allow you to maintain the love of your family and the respect of your citizens. So I Am The One Who Is Not To Be Pushed." Thor marveled to see his father actually shrink back at the words of Sigyn. He fully realized for the first time just how powerful she could be, if she chose. "I ask you again to grant me the privilege of mortality, now that you see a little more clearly what I have become, how unstable I am. I believe I could control myself as long I am unprovoked, but I can say with no surety what would or would not provoke me. I am a danger to this realm. I will not get better with time. I shall grow bitterer, I shall get worse."

"Sigyn please…"

She shot her father a look that needed no words to express what it meant. She was disappointed in him to say the least, and wanted to hear nothing of his advice. Syn decided to try; Sigyn sensed this and locked her tongue to the roof of her mouth. If anyone could sway her, it was Syn, and she did not wish to be swayed.

"Sigyn, this is madness."

"No, but I assure you it will be." She approached the Allfather and placed her hands gently on his shoulders. Her eyes implored him "Please…you can save me, save them, save the realm. I do not wish to be this thing I am becoming, but it is certain to happen if I stay here."

"But there are plans for you here Sigyn… You are a goddess. The people need you…I need you."

"You have wounded me, Odin, more deeply than I can say, let alone ever forgive. I will be no help to you."

"You will come around. I cannot let you go, not like this." Her eyes narrowed, she released him, and stepped back. "You will see. Time heals all."

"Time heals nothing when it stretches endlessly on. It simply gives us more occasions to dwell, and to wallow, and to harbor unforgiveness and hate."

She walked the length of the hall and made her way out of the palace, before she remembered her sister's tongue and unbound it. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to, and so she let her feet wander where they would. Before she knew it she was on the jagged edge of the Bifrost looking down into the oblivion that loomed beneath her feet.

"Coward," she mumbled aloud, yanking the chain of the necklace Loki had given her from around her neck, "you destroy the portal and kill yourself all in one night, leaving me with absolutely no recourse but to endure this miserable life without you. You should have done one or the other, not both."

She sighed and took a last look at her beautiful necklace, knowing there was not another one like it in the universe, and then held it out before her and watched as the chain slid through her fingers and then fell quickly out of sight. She did not notice Odin walk up behind her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the edge. She stood very still next to him.

"Come away Sigyn, there is nothing here for you."

"Is there something for me in Asgard, Odin?"

"People who love you are in Asgard," she scoffed loudly at the words. "It is truth. Everything I did I did out of love for you, both of you…I never intended for this to happen, any of this."

"You could have told us…you _should_ have told us everything."

"I was an arrogant old fool. It has cost me much. It has cost you more, and I am truly sorry." He took her face in his hands and looked lovingly upon his daughter as tears welled up in his eyes. "Loki was my son, Sigyn, do you truly believe I do not grieve him? I did love him, and what is worse, I never assured him that I loved him. He died never knowing how much he meant to me. That is something I will never get over, not to mention my murder of my grandchild."

She recoiled from him at the mention of the baby; he held her face more tightly in his hands. She wanted to burn him again, but could not bring herself to do it when he was so vulnerable and pouring his heart out to her.

"Let Go!"

"I will, that is what I am trying to say. I cannot bear to see you in such agony and turmoil, and I believe you when you say that you cannot exactly control yourself, so I will do as you ask, I will send you to Midgard and make you a mortal. Give me a day to prepare, and by this time tomorrow night you will be gone."


	20. Chapter 20

His broken body lay on the cold gray earth of this strange planet and he struggled to focus his eyes and determine where exactly he had fallen to. Though he was racked with pain, he was relieved to have finally stopped against something, to have landed after falling and falling for what felt like forever. He could not make out anything of his surroundings, except that it was dark and everything seemed to be lit by moonlight. His consciousness began to slip away, but not before he heard footsteps approaching.

"What is it?"

"A human."

"Impossible, the humans cannot survive this atmosphere. Their brains explode, they cannot breathe."

"Do not speak of human brains, it has been ages since I've tasted that particular delicacy...besides this one is as good as dead."

"I agree, this one appears to be dying but a human would have died instantly, and long before he reached our planet. We must figure out what he is and then you can eat his brain. I want the heart."

"But if he is not human, should we eat him?"

"Valid point…we should consult The Other."

"The Other? Why should The Other care if we eat him?"

"The Other will not care if we eat him, but I am sure he would like to know of this beings intrusion on our planet and he will know how to tell if it is human or not." His comrade nodded, fully agreeing with the sound rationale of his partner "Lift him."

"Why should I lift him, you found him!"

"I am in charge of this mission, now lift him, soldier!"

"What mission? We were on a walk and stumbled upon the thing!"

"Do as I say or I'll have your heart for my supper instead of his!"

He leaned menacingly towards his companion, and his companion quickly relented. His ruthlessness was well known throughout their regiment of the Chitaurian army.

The soldier lifted Loki roughly and slung him over his shoulder, ignoring the winces and noises of pain the prince involuntarily made. His body was limp and unconscious, the soldier could feel the bones of his skeleton move, as though shattered and disjointed, against his own body as he walked.

"I doubt the thing will survive the walk to The Other's chambers."

"No matter." Said the more stoic and authoritative soldier as he walked a few paces behind his partner, and studied Loki's mildly torn and tattered garments more closely. They were clothes of far more intricate and opulent detail than any he had ever seen with his own eyes, the clothes of nobility, a deity even. He deftly contained his excitement over his dumb luck, not wanting to let on to the other soldier that he knew exactly what kind of being they had found. "His Otherness will be pleased of our discovery either way…or should I say my discovery."

He ran the blade of his unusually shaped sword expertly through his partner's neck, and watched with a satisfied smirk as his head rolled across the light gray sand like ground. His body fell to the ground without a sound, and atop it fell the body of the Asgardian.

"Come, come now Most Esteemed God of The Realms," he said, now more than glad to lift Loki over his own shoulder "you shall be escorted into the chambers of His Otherness by a soldier worthy of carrying you."

He nodded his acknowledgement to the two guards of The Other's chambers, a labyrinth of halls and doors built into the side of a mountain that only those The Other himself deemed worthy of his presence could navigate. The guards stopped him in his tracks, brandishing their swords as he tried to pass.

"Where do you intend to go, soldier?"

"Into the chambers to see His Otherness, I must inform him of this beings intrusion."

"Intrusion! We are the guards of this planet, one of our brothers would have detected any such intrusion! Who is this you purpose to bring into The Other's chambers? What form of treason is this?"

They seized Loki from his arms and tackled him to the ground in what seemed to be one motion. The soldier had just begun to fight back when the stone door of the chambers opened, and the imposing figure of The Other himself appeared.

"What is the meaning of this?"

He asked calmly, his voice rasping and monotone. He was more amused by the spectacle than anything else.

"These two soldiers intend some sort of attack on you my Lord Other. This one pretends to be human and this one lies as though he truly believes him to be."

"Lay that one on the ground. We shall find out exactly what he is and deal with them both accordingly." The guard holding Loki threw him to the ground, while the other guard pinned the soldier to the ground with a knee planted firmly against his neck. "Lay him flat, you dolt."

His tone showed the slightest bit of exasperation, but The Other was more intrigued than anything else by this situation. He recognized the clothing and features of the man.

"He is in no disguise Your Otherness! He is of Asgard!"

Yelled the soldier as best he could from his position on the ground though he could see nothing, neither could he lift his head to look. The Other rolled his eyes; the foolish soldier honestly thought he was providing some previously unknown revelation. Now that Loki was flat on the ground the Other placed a single finger to the very center of his forehead, and grinned as his eyes popped suddenly open. He cried out in agony, a guttural sound, The Other recognized it as the sound typical of a warrior in too much pain to contain himself. He took pity on him instantly, for he had not expected the Asgardian Prince to be a warrior as well. He removed his finger and Loki stopped making all sound and breathing.

"Is he dead?"

"For all intents and purposes yes, but I shall summon the council and they will restore him. Bring them to me at once." The free guard ran off into the direction of the mountain nearby where the council sat. The Other then turned to the guard restraining the soldier and nodded for him to release him. "Carry my new friend into the chambers and lay him in a room. I will deal with the soldier."

* * *

Odin sat in his council room with Thor, Hugo, Heimdall, and Iwaldi and discussed the possibilities of getting Sigyn to Midgard.

"Without the Portal, I have no way of transporting her there, however I would be able to keep an eye on her once she arrived."

Odin nodded his understanding to the Gatekeeper, and turned to Hugo, who looked immensely worried by the entire thing.

"I suppose it would be useless to pretend that I could not conjure up a portal…But I am not at all comfortable with the idea."

"All the relics of my treasure room are at your disposal, Hugo. Do the very best you can."

The teacher stood, bowed, and walked from the council room more than gladly. Thor shook his head, growing very weary indeed of the constant state of confusion he had been in since his return.

"We are sending Sigyn to Midgard, why exactly?"

"It is her wish, Thor."

"She is a wreck of nerves and grief, she has no idea what she asks."

"She knows exactly what she asks; her logic behind the idea is sound. Sad, but sound."

Thor was more than hurt to hear this. It was as much hurt for himself as for Sigyn, for he found it far easier to live without Jane when he believed the possibility of traveling to Midgard was destroyed.

"What say you to this, Sir Iwaldi?"

Iwaldi looked wearily into the eyes of the prince and sighed.

"I would not presume to fix my mouth to say. I have more than lost that right where Sigyn is concerned."He stood slowly from his chair and looked at Odin. "You will provide for her and protect her while she is there, will you not?"

"Absolutely."

He assured his friend as best he could, and watched the now broken spirited man leave the room. Heimdall spoke, breaking the thick silence in the room with his unemotional commentary.

"The mortals hold jobs much as the citizens of Asgard do, and they must obtain money to buy food and shelter. Without it they are destitute."

"Indeed." Said Thor, absentmindedly. "Money is a great motivator in their society."

"Sigyn would be hard pressed to find work in a country setting, so a city would be more favorable to that end." Said Heimdall. "An American city, for her fiery disposition would be frowned upon in most other societies, since she is a woman."

Thor nodded his agreement to this as well. Odin sank further into his chair.

"New York, I believe, she would enjoy. The people there are very isolated from one another. They carry on at very hurried pace, and she need form no relationships at all if she does not wish to."

"I trust your judgment completely Heimdall. She will be sent to New York then."

"How will she find a place to live? Do you assume the people will take pity on her as they did me?"

Thor asked, and in response Odin conjured a key out of thin air, with a royal blue tag on it.

"248 Van Brunt Street, apartment 2A, Brooklyn New York."

"Any particular reason for that address, Father?"

"She will be undoubtedly safe there."

He said, with a wink in Heimdall's direction that the Gatekeeper met with a knowing, albeit small, smile.

* * *

Sigyn sat in Rona's living room and sighed, not at all ready to face the idea of saying good bye to her teacher. Rona entered the room with the tea she had promised, and was unable to stop herself from squinting in disapproval at Sigyn's new haircut. She had seen it before of course, but she would never get used to it.

"I know you mourn, and that is the only reason I accept it. Dear Loki…he was a pain in my side, but he was _your_ pain in my side." She was delighted to hear Sigyn giggle at the joke. Perhaps the girl would be alright in the end. "I know you said you were not hungry, but if you insist on making this trip, you must eat."

"I know."

"The mortals must eat thrice a day to maintain their health. Try to remember that Sigyn."

"Of course." She did not say what she truly felt, that her purpose of going to Midgard was to be mortal and have a set time to die. She was not exactly concerned with taking care of her health. "I have read much of the mortals, I know what to do."

"Good. Drink your tea."

She sipped from the cup like a good little girl and Rona beamed at her. She suddenly stopped smiling and looked very, very sad. The atmosphere of the sun filled, well decorated, and cozy room changed drastically. Sigyn could read the look on Rona's face, she did not need to speak her concerns.

"Rona, it will be fine."

"I have to protest to this Sigyn. You are a Goddess, you are meant to rule and protect the mortals, not live amongst them, certainly not become one of them."

"Rona."

"Sigyn, they die."

"So, apparently, do we."

"I know…I understand. But our death is not certain, theirs is. It is absolute; it is a fact to them that goes hand in hand with life."

"And so, they value life more than we do. They live every moment, take risks and strive as if they will live forever when they know…not even close."

"But you only wish to die."

"I will not kill myself once I am there, Rona, if that is what worries you. I will bide my time, much as I would here. But at least there I know time will end for me." Rona was taken aback by her calmness and serenity as she spoke of the fact of her death. "And I am not afraid."

"Sigyn, what will _we_ do without you? You are vital to the realm and you do not even realize it."

"Indeed, I do not."

"I shall miss you."

"That I do know. And I shall deeply miss you as well Rona." She held her hand comfortingly and smiled at her, all Rona saw was the face of the sweet little girl she had helped grow into this intelligent and elegant young woman "But I cannot stay here. Asgard will go on just fine without me, and so will you. And I will live for a while longer on Midgard, and surely you will see Heimdall from time to time and check up on me."

"Of course. Every day, twice a day."

"Pure flattery. I shall count on it."

"Will you at least take your powers with you?"

"No, only my memories. I don't want to forget who I am…or who I used to be."

Sigyn stood with her arms open wide and Rona met her embrace. It was a long and loving hug, one that Sigyn had to break, painful as it was to do so. She left the beautiful cottage, without taking the time to take a final look at its magnificent gardens or the amazing waterfall that gushed next to it. It was permanently etched in her mind, along with the love she shared with the woman who lived there.

She found Sif in the weapons hall of the warrior's training house, much as she had expected she would. She brandished a small axe expertly, flipping and throwing it between her hands as she fended off an invisible opponent. She did not drop it once, that is until she turned and saw Sigyn standing in the doorway, smiling at her.

"I did not mean to scare you."

Sif shrugged and walked over to the shelf she had gotten the axe from. Sunlight peeped in spurts throughout the room from the small square windows cut into the gray stone wall. The floors were dark mahogany wood, and added to the serious atmosphere of this most dangerous room. Sif turned to Sigyn and looked into her friend's eyes.

"You surprised me then, you scared me last night."

"I'm sorry."

"I guess I underestimated you…no wonder you were never afraid of Loki. Or anything else for that matter."

"I thought you liked me because I was brave, like you."

"We are not alike. I do not run away from my problems." She walked closer to Sigyn and spoke again "How can you desert us like this? The realm needs you!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that? What is so special about me?"

"Think about it Sigyn, you are powerful beyond words. Everyone believes you could best Odin himself if you wanted to, and not just because of last night. They have thought so since your wedding." Sigyn hung her head and shook it, walking away from Sif, not wanting to listen. Sif simply turned and spoke louder. "You warned him of the frost giant breach, when even Heimdall knew nothing of their presence."

"And?"

"And…It is incredibly selfish for you to abandon us."

"I'm not abandoning you. I am protecting you. Last night should have served as a warning to you all. I am not myself anymore."

"You're pathetic; all this because Loki died. Oh no excuse me, killed himself."

"You just do not understand. If you knew you would not say that." She was not angry, for she knew this was Sif's way. Like Lofn she could never express her true feelings, and instead wore a facade of anger and indifference. "Trust me there is more to it than that. Anyway, I came to thank you. I would still be in the stupor if it weren't for you. I should have come long before this but I was otherwise preoccupied."

"No problem Sigyn. I was happy to do it."

They stood in the room, a very awkward and tense silence between them.

"I suppose I should go now."

As Sigyn walked past her Sif grabbed her arm. Sigyn was shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"Did I not warn you of this? Did I not tell you he would destroy you?"

"It wasn't him Sif."

"You are so blind. You make me grateful that Thor pays me no attention, I would rather slit my own throat than behave like you do, over someone as vile and repulsive as L-"

She stopped suddenly; a look of terror crossed her face. She fully expected Sigyn to torture her as she had done the man the night before. Sigyn looked taken aback, and then looked down at her arm, where Sif had slowly begun to loosen her grip.

"That, Sif, is exactly why I am leaving. I will not stay here and terrorize you good citizens, in spite of the fact that you _absolutely _deserve it."

She walked out of the room and towards the door out of the warrior's house, a very mischievous smirk across her face as she heard the loud crash and clatter ensue behind her as the shelves of the weapon hall collapsed, sending the hundreds of swords, axes, arrows, bows, maces, and unidentified foreign weapons thundering to the ground.

She said her goodbyes to Syn quickly, not bothering to look for Lofn, who had hidden herself away from Sigyn, as if she could not simply read her mind and find her. She closed the door to Syn's bedroom behind her, leaving her sister to continue to sob alone, and made her way down the stairs to her father's study. He was not there, and she had little desire to speak to him anyway, so she conjured a letter of farewell to him and placed it on the middle of his desk. She ran her hand lovingly along the edge of the desk, memories of hiding from him beneath it as they played together coming to her. He had been a wonderful father and though she could not forgive his betrayal, she had equal difficulty forgetting his love. The door to the study opened and she turned to see who had entered. Justus came to her, kneeling before her in his usual way.

"My Lady, I have no words for my sorrow at all you have endured. The Prince was a treasure to this realm. I admired him greatly."

"Of course you did. You know, you remind me of him Justus."

"Do I? It is a grand compliment indeed your majesty."

She gestured for him to rise and ruffled his hair. She then held his face and kissed him softly on the forehead.

"Have you heard of my intent to leave the realm?"

"Indeed Maam."

"And do you object?"

"Indeed, but I would protest to nothing that you deemed necessary. You are very wise."

"Am I?" She smiled at him, and kissed him again "Look after my father, and Syn, and my brother Thor. Tell Thor I asked him to keep you close. Will you do that for me?"

Justus nodded solemnly and bowed to her again as she made her way out of the room. She did not wish to say goodbye to anyone else, and so had a carriage bring her to her mansion in the city, where she entered inside to find her servants still very much in place, as though she and Loki had never left. The aroma from her kitchen reminded her that she had not eaten that day, and for the first time in days, she actually had an appetite.

* * *

The council chanted in total unison around the bed of the Asgardian, who hovered in midair and twitched involuntarily every now and then. Green light enveloped him, and suddenly his eyes opened. The council stopped speaking abruptly, the light faded, and the body of the Asgardian floated gently to the bed. His eyes darted around the room; he looked disgusted as he took in the appearance of the creatures that surrounded him. They were large and lizard like though they stood and wore clothes and had arms and legs similar to that of men. He had seen nothing like them before. They were hideous. He nearly leapt off the bed as they moved to touch him. They listened for his heartbeat, lifted his arms and legs one at a time and let them fall back to the bed, waved their fingers in front of his eyes, poked his ribs. He was mortified to be naked in front of such ugly and odd creatures, yet he could not protest, he could not move.

"What is he?"

"He is the Asgardian prince Loki. He also is repulsed by us."

Loki looked in disbelief at the creature who had spoken. How could he know?

"He fell from their Bifrost, he is lost."

"The prince of Asgard, this is better than I had hoped! Will he recover?"

"We have healed him, restored him to life. He will be himself by morning."

"He looks angry. Why does he not speak?"

"He is not fully conscious yet. He will speak soon enough."

"Come, while he rests I must speak with you."

The hooded creatures followed the one who seemed to be in charge out of the room and Loki took the moment alone to examine his surroundings. He figured he was more conscious than they realized, for he could see and hear everything, but he could not speak. The room was lit by floating globes of light, which he recognized as pure electricity, the brightness of which hurt his eyes. The room was crudely designed, it seemed to be little more than a cave, and Loki determined that for as advanced as these creatures were, they were still primitive and simple. He was unchained to the bed, and there was no guard on his door. He was not a prisoner, but he heard the excitement in the voice of the one who seemed to be in charge when he learned of his identity. He intended to use Loki as leverage of some kind. The prince almost laughed at how absurd an idea that was, for no doubt Odin and Asgard were happy to be rid of him once and for all.

He could not bring himself to think about Sigyn. Everything they had was over now and that was sad, but now she could remarry and live a normal life, a happy life, for although they had loved each other their marriage had been a series of disasters from the start.

"He is a god as well as a prince."

"The God of Mischief and Lies."

"He believes Odin is angry with him, and he harbors much resentment to him."

"He is the son of Laufey, the Jotun King."

"He killed him."

"He was lied to about his true birth."

"He is very powerful."

"He could be a useful tool to us."

"He must be handled carefully, for he is cunning."

"There is a woman he loves. He thinks of her even now."

The council members spoke one at a time, but they shared one consciousness and could see, hear, and know all about any being on their planet. The Other listened intently to all they said and sighed deeply. His prayers had been answered. Here was a solution to his problems, an offering he could give to the mighty Thanos, and it had literally fallen out of the sky. He was unsure how he could use Loki to gain Thanos' favor, but he knew Thanos had many reasons to be interested in one who could potentially get him close to Odin.

"A woman, you say?"

"The goddess Sigyn."

"His thoughts linger to her, though he wills them not to."

"What else does he think of?"

"Power."

"Betrayal."

"He is angry."

"With who?"

"Odin."

"His father betrayed him."

"There is much he knows. There is much he does not know. He is in turmoil."

"Thank you council. You may return to your posts."

They filed out in a single line, marching one after the other in exactly the same pattern. The Other stood immediately as they left and walked to a shelf in the wall of his meeting room. He lifted a small clear orb off of it and gazed into it. The image of a rather large and daunting figure appeared in it, and the figure then picked up a similar orb and gazed into it. His magenta skinned faced leered from the inside of the orb.

"Back again to grovel for the mighty Thanos to have mercy on your miserable and blundering planet."

His tone was amused, but his eyes were more than menacing.

"I can do nothing but apologize again, for our most unforgivable error. Losing the tesseract is the greatest failure of our species."

"You are the greatest failure of your species. Do not apologize to me again. In fact, I recall telling you not to contact me again until you had a feasible plan for restoring to me that which is rightfully mine."

"Indeed you did, and I believe I have."

"You believe?" Thanos shifted the orb in his hand and sneered, piercing into The Other's eyes with his own "Speak briefly, and this had better be good."

"A prince of Asgard has fallen here. Odin of course, is the creator of the tesseract, so if anyone could retrieve it, it would be his son."

"Thor?"

"Loki."

"Loki…the other prince…Well, as usual Other, you think in only the most basic and simple of terms. However, you have managed to somehow come up with a viable plan, a plan more feasible and brilliant than you realize. Now tell me everything you know of him, and then do exactly as I say."


	21. Chapter 21

It was difficult to be in the mansion; even surrounded by staff it felt empty to her. But it was still the only place in Asgard that she wanted to be, and so she wandered into one of the unfurnished rooms on the second floor and sat cross-legged in the middle of it. She decided to play with her magic for a little bit, since soon it would be gone. She set the floor on fire and then quickly turned the flames to ice. She conjured a small ball of electricity and ran her hand over it, loving the charge of pure energy it gave her. She quickly put it away however, at the sound of a knock on the door.

"Enter."

In walked Hugo, his trademark bag of tricks in hand and a weary smile on his face.

"Hello, your majesty."

She grinned at him, and shook her head.

"Have you come to say good-bye? I cannot believe I forgot to visit with you, please forgive me." She stood and hugged him, leaning back and looking into his face. The room was bright and sunny and the lines in his face were clear. He was worried. "Do not ask me not to go."

"I have worked all day on creating your departure, and so I would not think of it."

An orb of pure energy appeared in the middle of the room and expanded into an oval shape, large enough for Sigyn to step through. It emitted the same kind of light the portal on the Bifrost had, and Sigyn knew it was her ticket to Midgard.

"Amazing!"

He stopped her as she walked towards it and snapped his fingers. Her dress immediately changed into a pair of denim pants and a black cotton t-shirt. She looked down in bewilderment at the clothes.

"Is this how they dress?!"

"Yes. It is not too late for you to change your mind." He was only half joking, though she laughed loudly at his remark. He handed her a rather large envelope of documents, Sigyn opened it and pulled out the key with the blue tag. "Everything you need to identify yourself is in there. You will know when you will need them. When you are asked, you have no family, you are a widow, and you are an American. Tell them nothing of Asgard, the mortals do not believe in us as devoutly as they once did."

"Of course, I understand." She nodded and dropped the key back into the envelope. As she looked into the portal she reached back for Hugo's hand. "I am suddenly very nervous. They do live rather differently there."

"You will be fine. Once you land on Midgard your powers will cease to be so you will not have to worry about exposing who you really are, and the portal is designed so that you will land inside the place you will live. You will remember us, and we will of course be watching over you."

She nodded again, squeezed his hand for a final time and stepped into the light of the portal.

* * *

It was a faster trip than she had expected, flying over space and time, and within a few instants she landed on the hardwood floor of what seemed to be a tiny little room, smaller than even the servants rooms in the palaces she grew up in. There was a low back red leather couch with studded details along its back in the middle of the room, a black trunk with silver locks sat in front of it, and there were silver tables on either side of it, with a crystal lamp on each table. A TV and shelves hung on the wall in front of the couch and in the corner of the room behind it was a kitchen, or rather a stove, a refrigerator and a few cabinets on the wall. The door into the apartment sat on the wall near the makeshift kitchen, and had three deadbolt locks on it. Three windows lined the wall of the living room, letting a surprising amount of sunlight in given that the only view out of the windows was the lovely brick wall of the building next door.

She stood up and walked to a door on the same wall where the TV hung, and entered a small bedroom filled with a medium sized bed with a silver bed frame and mirrored dressers, nightstands, a vanity and wardrobe. She more than approved of the décor, and was grateful to Odin or Hugo or whoever had selected it for her. White oleanders sat on the desk in her bedroom, she smelled them before opening the door to the tiny bathroom nearby, and almost jumped for joy to see the white claw foot tub inside of it. She was smiling when she closed the door to the bathroom and opened the door to her closet. She was beaming from ear to ear when she saw that the closet was full of clothes and shoes. As she walked out of her bedroom and sat on the couch in her living room she noticed that besides the noise from the busy street outside, everything was quiet. She was dying to get downstairs and see what it was like out there, but first things first.

She dumped the contents of the large envelope on the couch before her and read them over. Her birth certificate read August 17th, 1989, and that she had been born in Louisiana. Her name was Sigyn DeFleur, and she wondered what possessed them to name her _that_, as she read on that her mother had died in childbirth and her father was unknown. She put down the birth certificate and read her marriage license. Apparently she had been married to soldier Lucas O'Donnell for only 6 months before he was lost during a bombing in Afghanistan, and later declared legally dead according to his death certificate and military documents. Next she looked at the ID card they'd given her; it read Sigyn O'Donnell with her date of birth, height, eye, hair color, and even a picture of her with her short haircut. Finally, she picked up the small black rectangle with a flat screen that lit up when she touched it, which she assumed was a phone, though the word meant very little to her and she had no idea how to use it.

Still, she was impressed by how thorough they had been in their preparations. She noticed a calendar hanging by the front door, walked over to it and saw the year, 2011. She shrugged a little, the number meant absolutely nothing to her, nor did the month, September. Next to the calendar was a note, apparently she had a job interview at the Red Hook All-Star Diner the next day at 11 am. She figured she should try to find out exactly where that was before she did anything else.

The sudden knock at her door surprised her, and she struggled with the locks for a moment before finally getting it to open. Standing before her in a grease stained white undershirt, shorts and a pair of black fuzzy slippers was a short round little man, with a gut that could rival Volstagg's hanging over the top of his shorts and popping slightly out of the bottom of his shirt. The stubbly face beneath the shiny balding head was smiling at her, and though she found him bizarre and off putting, Sigyn managed to smile back.

"Hello…"

"Hello Miss O'Donnell just wanted to check on you, make sure you were settled." He paused for a moment to allow himself to cough into his hand, a hand which he then extended towards Sigyn. "I'm Mr. Eugene Roberts. I live on the main floor in 1A, I'm the super here."

"Oh. Nice to meet you."

She refused to take his hand, instead waving at him awkwardly and clenching the doorknob a little tighter with her other hand. She wondered how this man knew who she was.

"The landlord informed me of your move in, sorry it took me so long to get up here and properly introduce myself." He leaned closer to her, placing his arm on the doorframe and trying to look non chalant "I assumed he wanted you to get special attention since your rent is paid in full for the year, but I suppose the fact that you are one hot piece would have been reason enough."

"One…hot..piece?"

She was more than confused, so much so that she didn't even think to be offended. All she wanted was for the odd little man to leave. She had the faint notion that she could smell him, and worse, what he had been eating and drinking before he came up.

"I mean, the only way you could make those clothes look any better, would be throwing 'em off on my bedroom floor."

"OH! WOW!" Her temper took complete control of her, and in an instant she had the man's arm pinned behind his back and began backing him towards the stairs. "If you EVER speak that way to me again, I will break this arm OFF, and shove it so far down your miserable throat you'll CHOKE ON IT!" She twisted his arm roughly to emphasize her point "Do you hear me?"

"OWWWW!"

"I Said Do You Hear Me?"

He nodded, she let him go and he made haste down the stairs. Sigyn sighed a deep sigh of rage and disbelief, and as she leaned against the wall next to her door, her eyes landed on the gap at the bottom of the door of the apartment directly across the hall, and saw the sliver of a shadow of someone standing behind it, who had apparently watched the entire incident.

"I'm surrounded."

She mumbled to herself as she walked back into her apartment, grabbed her keys, and headed off in search of the Red Hook All-Star Diner.

* * *

Loki opened his eyes slowly, vaguely remembered the recent events that had unfolded, and slowly lifted himself up into a seated position. The creatures had not bothered to clothe him, so he used what little strength he had to conjure himself a very basic tunic and pants, and a pair of boots. He stood, opened the door of the cave like room and stepped into a similarly cave like hallway. There were no guards in sight, there were none of the creatures in sight, but as he turned the corner just outside his room he saw a wooden door far larger and heavier than the others, and he figured this was surely the way out.

He walked slowly towards it, lifted the wooden beam that barricaded it and stepped outside. The planet was still dark; he realized that what he had mistaken for moonlight before was simply larger orbs of electricity. The landscape was mountainous, the earth sandy, and Loki squinted in the darkness to make out any shapes. He did not wish to be startled by these ugly and unusual creatures, for he was still too weak to transport himself elsewhere, and he had a nagging curiosity to know why the leader had taken such a keen interest in him.

"You are awake," rasped the thing, as Loki turned around and it came out of the caves and towards him "Splendid, for we have much to speak of."

"What do you want from me?"

"Do not be insolent, Asgardian, we have restored you to life…or have you forgotten already what it is to be dead?" Loki looked at the hideous creature, which now smirked in his direction, and suddenly remembered the darkness and the silence, the nothingness and the weightlessness, and most of all the peace he had been shrouded in before the violent jolt of green light and his return to consciousness in the cave room with the things of this planet surrounding him. "Did you make it to Valhalla?"

Loki met his eyes with a defiant stare.

"You had no right to snatch me out of death, and do not make pretense that you did it for my own sake. You clearly want something of me…and I clearly need to be alive to carry it out. So I ask you again what do you want from me?"

"Did you wish to die Prince Loki?"

"Maybe and maybe not," he would not give the creature the satisfaction of getting a reaction from him, so instead he kept a calm and disinterested look upon his face, and spoke with just a hint of exasperation at its intent to dodge his question "doesn't really matter now does it, I am alive and will be for the for-seeable future. You on the other hand…"

"YOU DARE TO THREATEN THE LEADER OF THE CHITAURI!"

It was Loki's turn to smirk as the so called leader lost his composure in a fit of indignation.

"So then you are The Other…you Chitauri are so obscure and insignificant to us in Asgard that I know only of you from footnotes in books. Let's see, I read a sentence once about the unique makeup of your council…and your many failed attempts to control other weaker beings, like the Midgardians…but that's about it."

"You are more insolent than I ever could have imagined. But what you did not find in your books you will quickly learn of first hand if you do not learn to watch your tongue…my men would be happy to cut it out and see if it really is made of silver."

"I would lay waste to the entire miserable planet before they could lay a finger on me."

"You exaggerate."

"You hope." Loki felt his strength returning slowly, but a dull ache had suddenly begun to throb behind his ear. "But I will refrain from insulting you any further if you will stop wasting my time and enlighten me as to why I am here."

"You were thrown from the Bifrost. This is where you landed."

"Thrown?" He turned away from The Other and closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened in his last few moments with Thor, Odin, and Sigyn. He and Thor had been dangling from the edge of the rainbow bridge. Sigyn and Odin had pulled them up, but then someone let go of Gungnir. He could not remember who. "Was I thrown? I was, wasn't I?"

"Indeed, my council can only know what you know, what you saw happen. They say you were thrown…utterly betrayed by Odin, then unceremoniously flung from the Bifrost."

"He lied to me…then he refused to let me finish what I had started, all I wanted to do was protect them, prove myself."

"You were the king, you had every right."

"I was the King, the rightful King."

"Indeed." The Other looked at his back and dared to wonder if his words were actually hitting their mark. "You seem troubled Prince Loki."

"Touch me and you die."

The Other quickly lowered his hand and resisted the urge to attack Loki. If the arrogant and stubborn Asgardian were not the only hope he had to save his planet from the looming threat of Thanos, he would gladly torture and kill him just for amusement. Alas, Loki was the only option he had, and so, he was to be tolerated.

Little did he realize that in the grand scheme of things, as much as he thought he would make a puppet out of the young Prince, he could never match him in cunning or strategy, not even with an all knowing, all seeing council to refer to.

"Your hostility will not get you what you want, Loki."

"And what do I want?"

"To rule."

"And hostility will _not_ help me in that endeavor…how ignorant are you?"

He finally turned around and looked with mocking in his eyes upon the ugly creature. He would never get used to how disgusting they were. He knew one thing for certain; he never wanted to rule Chitauri, not even if it were the last planet in the universe. The Other read the disdain on his face, the disgust, and felt his resentment towards the Asgardian grow by leaps and bounds. Still, there was Thanos to consider.

"Shall I take you to the council? They will be better able to explain to you what we need from you, and how we can in turn help you get all that you desire."

He followed The Other up a winding staircase carved into the side of a mountain to a cliff, upon which stood the members of the Chitaurian council, their hooded figures standing around and gazing into a large pool of dark water. Loki looked curiously around as they all babbled in unison, and The Other allowed him to observe them for a moment before calling to them.

"Your leader has need."

Every hooded head raised at exactly the same time and turned to face The Other. They stood up straight, folded their hands in front of themselves as though in prayer, and reverently bowed their heads towards him. Loki considered the gesture to be rather elegant, compared to the rest of what he had seen on Chitauri.

"You bring us the Prince. He has been the subject of our thoughts for quite a while; we have seen much of what troubles him, much of what he needs to be satisfied."

He admired their abilities, but wished for a way to block them from his consciousness.

"We see how you worry for the fate of the woman in your absence. We can show you."

His eyes grew big in spite of himself, he had not thought that he had thought of her, certainly not enough that he would think _they_ would know of her. He was worried now, as he had not been before. He could protect himself from them, but he was not certain that he could protect her anymore.

"Who?"

"Your beloved wife Sigyn." It was difficult to hear her name. His heart sank that The Other stood next to him, but lifted a bit when he thought that perhaps the creature would be too dense to realize she was all the leverage he would need to get him to do whatever it was he wanted. "We can show you."

They turned back to the pool, and suddenly bright white light rose out of it, then within the light there she was, sitting in her bedroom in her father's palace, at a desk, reading a book. She looked tired and unfocused; her hair fell wildly all over the place. She still wore the nightgown she had worn on the bridge. Sunlight poured into her room and bounced off her skin, suddenly the door opened and in came Thor. They spoke, Loki heard every word and saw the sorrow they seemed to feel as she explained how she knew that Loki was dead. Suddenly the light overtook them, and a new picture came into view: Thor and Sigyn on a balcony, Sigyn's hair completely gone, and her hand in his as they entered some sort of celebration feast together.

"They celebrate your brother's return however the kingdom does not mourn you, your loss is not explained. You are forgotten, utterly forgotten. By all except her…"

The scene shifts to show Sigyn in the empty room of the mansion, releasing Hugo's hand and stepping through a portal, it then shows Sigyn in her apartment.

"She is a mortal now. She resides on Midgard. She could not bear life in Asgard without you."

His eyes were transfixed on the images, so clear, and yet he could not be sure that they were real.

"The council does not lie," said The Other "now, tell him what we have need of."

"Your father's cube, the Tesseract, is the key to unlimited power and is required by our great ally to complete his great mission. We would have you retrieve it."

"And why would I do that?"

He asked, absentmindedly, for the images now showed Sigyn walking through her small new home on Midgard, and he did not wish to look away.

"Because it resides on Midgard, with your beloved."

The Other regretted the words almost as soon as he finished speaking them, especially as Loki tore his eyes away from the woman and turned to The Other.

"I can simply go to Midgard and be with Sigyn if I wish. You have given me no reason to help you, at all. You have actually drawn my ire, by trying to use her against me."

"There are other reasons you could find Midgard of interest. They are a ruler less people. They wander aimlessly and advance at a pace that is painful to watch. They would be an ideal race for you to cultivate, it is a planet that you could indeed rule, and _no one _could take it away from you."

He internally cursed the council and their ability to make perfect sense, but he could not hide the intrigued smirk that crossed his face as he turned back towards them, taking a seat on a smooth mound of stone.

"Well. You certainly do have my attention…."

* * *

She stood on the stairs of the porch to her building and fumbled through her bag for the downstairs door key. Odin's one oversight in his meticulous planning for her life on Midgard was that godforsaken key, and although she had been given two copies of it by Mr. Roberts, she could not seem to hold on to it to save her life. She sighed, her waitress apron blowing in the breeze as she gave up looking and pushed the number 2, then the letter B on the keypad and the little white button beneath it. It was a few moments before she heard the loud buzz that meant she could go in, and she opened the door quickly, this time determined to see her neighbor before he went back into his apartment and closed the door. This was far from the first time she had buzzed 2B to get in, and he always came out to make sure she had gotten in, and quickly went back inside his apartment and shut the door before she could thank him. She didn't even know his name, and though she tried to look on his mailbox, all the mailboxes that hung on the wall had a name on them except 2B. She figured he was an old man, and that he certainly he had to be lonely, and also very kind to not bawl her out for ringing his bell at all hours of the day and night.

She hurried up the stairs, but heard his door close as she got halfway up and frowned. He had every right to ask her to stop ringing him, but he didn't, he didn't seem to mind at all, as long as she got in safely. She was grateful for it, and she thought of going to knock on his door and properly thank him, but decided against it. He had to have his reasons for shutting himself off from the world.

She unlocked her door and flipped on the light to her apartment. The kitchen was spotless, the couch inviting, and all she wanted to do with her rare night off from the diner was fall into it and watch the crazy people on her favorite TV show try to make clothes. She was amazed by how quickly and completely these mortal bodies became tired. She had run all over the diner, filling orders, cleaning spills, being harassed by the dirty old men who came in for lunch, and her body now ached and felt tense. She wanted to sleep, but she had realized that even when she did sleep she still woke up tired. The upside was that she never dreamed, not of Loki or the baby, not of anything good or bad. Her mind was dark in sleep, and she was thrilled about it.

It wasn't until she heard the loud shouting from the hallway that she realized that she had fallen asleep on the couch. She recognized Mr. Roberts' voice immediately and went to her door to see what the commotion was about. She stepped into the hall and saw the young Spanish mother who lived there trying to calmly explain herself to the unreasonable superintendent.

"You Think You Can Just Live Here, Rent Free, You Got Another Think Coming Little Lady. You And Your Baby Will Be Out On The Street If Ya Don't Pay What Ya Owe By Tomorrow Morning!"

"But Mr. Roberts, I can't work, I can't get the baby in daycare."

"Ain't My Fault, Ain't My Problem."

"I can get the money sir, but not by tomorrow, I just need more time."

Suddenly a sharp cry sounded, and Sigyn recognized it as a baby.

"WILL YA SHUT THAT BRAT UP? IF YOU CAN'T I WILL!"

"Please, sir. I'm sorry. It won-"

"No More Time, No More STORIES. PAY OR GET OUT! IF I DON'T WAKE UP TO THE RENT TOMORROW-"

"Can You Keep Your Voice Down? Decent People Are Trying To Sleep."

Sigyn tapped him on the shoulder as she spoke, his eyes narrowed on her then widened as he thought of their last encounter. Sigyn smiled at the young mother, who looked relieved to have a moment to collect herself, her nerves frazzled from being screamed at.

"I apologize Mrs. O'Donnell. I'll try to keep it down."

"Why are you harassing her anyway? You're not the landlord and therefore it is not your business whether she pays her rent or not."

"He asked me to speak to her."

"But did he ask you to scream at her, threaten her and her child, because I'm pretty sure that is against the law."

"Making criminal threats? You're absolutely right about that Maam."

Sigyn smiled at the young man with the muscles and the sandy blonde hair, and he nodded to her, standing on Mr. Roberts' other side, and looking him in the eyes.

"I didn't threaten her! And not paying your rent is a crime too, should we just pretend she hasn't been fleecing me for months."

"She hasn't been fleecing you, she's been fleecing the landlord!" Said the young man, as the young mother shot him a look of shock. "Not that you've been fleecing anybody on purpose, Maam."

"Mr. Roberts," the young mother handed her baby to a startled Sigyn, and placed her hands into the pockets of the long nightgown she wore. She pulled out a hundred dollar bill and a crumpled up five and placed it into his hand. "This is all I have. I will get you the rest by next week. I swear. Please, we have nowhere else to go."

Had Sigyn been able to speak or hear or see anything besides the child in her arms she would have told the woman not to beg a degenerate like Mr. Roberts for anything, and that she and the baby could live with her. But the baby captivated her, from its look of contentment in her arms to the wonderful way it smelled, a stark contrast to the boozy aroma of Mr. Roberts that filled the hall. She was at once a ball of nerves and perfectly at ease with the child there.

"Next week then."

He snatched the money and walked off. The young man apologized to the young mother if he'd offended her.

"No, I thank both of you for helping me, we'd be out on the street right now if you hadn't come out of your apartments." She took the baby away from Sigyn, who tried not to appear too sad to see him go. "I'm Anna by the way."

"Sigyn. Nice to meet you, I live in 2A."

"Yeah, I see you at the diner all the time."

"Oh yeah, that is where I spend most of my life."

"Sigyn," Anna said as she laughed, "that's an unusual name."

"I guess… I like it."

They laughed a little, then their eyes fell on the handsome young man, who suddenly became very interested in playing with the baby, who laughed and giggled at his faces.

"Thank you sir…."

"No problem. See you ladies around."

He turned and walked quickly away, hoping the beautiful one who lived across the hall from him would just let it go, though he had seen that it wasn't exactly her nature to do that. She let Anna go inside and called after the young man, realizing he was going to 2B.

"Hey do you know who lives there?"

"Yeah, just some old guy…he's like 90 and he hates everybody."

He didn't look back as he walked, but his heart leapt as she suddenly touched his arm to stop him.

"Wait a minute, why are you in such a hurry? Hold on!" He turned around to see her smiling up at him. It was her first chance to see how blue his eyes were. He noticed that her face was sweet and innocent, despite the fact that she had a commanding presence and could clearly stand up for herself. It was impossible not to like her. "Are you his grandson or something?"

"I don't know..."

"What?"

"Maam, I'm really tired. I'm just gonna say goodnight okay."

"Wait, your friend or grandfather or whoever has been really nice to me and he never lets me thank him. Could you at least tell me his name so I could write him a note?"

"You are one pushy dame." He mumbled as he turned away and opened his door. She smiled at the compliment and smiled wider as he called over his shoulder. "His name's Steve."


	22. Chapter 22

***Not sure I like this chapter, so it could change/disappear over the next few days. But still r/r so I know what you think.**

* * *

Months passed quickly and as Sigyn became closer to Anna and her baby, she eventually convinced a very reluctant and proud Anna to let her help her pay the rent. The note of thanks she had written Steve had sat outside of his door for days until she came in from the diner one night, fed up and tired, and kicked the little blue envelope under the crack at the bottom of the door in an act of frustration. She had stopped ringing his bell, opting to have another key to the front door made and wear it around her neck at all times. It was the only way she could keep up with it.

She was beginning to feel the sting of mortality more and more each day. Aches and pains were ever present in her body, her fatigue never seemed to sway, only to grow more acute as the day wore on, and the loneliness, isolation, and inescapable self awareness were beginning to weigh on her mind. These mortals were very self absorbed, for they had no subjects to rule or other planets to protect, and so their reflections and attentions all seemed to be pointed inward, very much to themselves.

She felt herself weakening. Now, when men grabbed her arm on the street or in the diner she couldn't just pull away like she had when she'd first arrived. Now when they leered at her and made rude comments about her figure she tended to keep her head down and walk away rather than engage them in an argument. Although it seemed necessary to protect herself and be cautious while in this frail and weak form, she hated it; she was afraid that she was losing her courage on this mortal planet.

She was thankful that Loki would never see her this way, and as she walked the block just outside of the diner, on a particularly cold and rainy night after a particularly long and degrading shift, she smiled a little at the thought of him. It was just a little easier to think of him now, though she was still conscious not to allow herself to do it too often. But since there was nothing on Midgard that reminded her of him, it was easier to remember him however and whenever she wanted, rather than being reminded of him at every turn and every moment as she would have on Asgard.

The rain was relentless in its steady fall, and she was getting soaked as she walked towards her job interview. She pulled her scarf off of her neck and draped it over her head and shoulders like a hood. She stopped under the awning of a building on the corner and buttoned up her jacket. She would never get used to the elements here, and all the different garments they needed to wear to be protected against them. Never.

She decided to wait a minute and see if the rain would let up, then thought better of it. If the gym owner's voice over the phone was a clue about his personality, he was not a man who liked to be kept waiting. Not that she was particularly eager to become a cleaning lady, but Sigyn needed to take the job if she could get it, it was the only one with hours flexible enough to work around the erratic shifts she got at the diner. She had promised Anna that she would help her until she got on her feet, and working at the diner wasn't going to be enough to cover both of their bills.

So she toughed out the rain, crossed the street, and walked into the alley between two big brick buildings that the gym was tucked away in. It had a name that had faded away long ago, and now GYM was all you could read on the sign in the dirty window of the door. Sigyn wondered how anyone even knew it was there. She had passed two nice gym's with large windows, bright lighting, TV's, equipment and beautiful young people walking on machines inside; that was what she had expected to find here. Instead behind the steel door with the dirty window was a faint smell of bleach and a dimly lit hallway. There was no equipment anywhere. Off the hallway was a door that led into a room lined with what looked like a fence to Sigyn. In the corner were a desk and a stool, and racks of shelves filled with boxing gloves, and other equipment lined the room, like bookcases in a library. You had to walk through this cage like room to get into the long large room that she guessed was the actual gym. There were no TV's or machines here, but instead boxing rings, bleachers, weights, punching bags, speed bags, and on the farthest wall lockers, benches, and stairs that led to the door to an office with a large window that looked down on the gym. Sigyn took in the dingy appearance of the room, the walls, which were probably vibrant many years ago, were blue and had some obscure figures painted on them, and the floors were hardwood and impossibly dull.

As she looked around, the door to the office opened and out walked a tall middle aged man with dark black hair and olive skin. He wore a white t-shirt tucked into his black pants and a silver cross around his neck. He was handsome, despite the stern look on his face, and Sigyn couldn't help but smile a little at him; he reminded her of her father. Suddenly a loud gurgling sound came from the direction of the bathroom. The gym owner placed an exasperated hand to his forehead and kept walking towards Sigyn.

"I can't catch a break in here," he said in a gruff tone as he reached her, his hand outstretched, "the whole damn place is falling apart. I'm Jonesy by the way, you here about the cleaning job?"

"Yes."

"No offence, but you don't look like a cleaning woman."

She looked down at her outfit and back up at Jonesy with a confused look on her face. She wore jeans and her blue raincoat and her white scarf which now hung around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, but I would wear a uniform if you wanted me to…I would not mind at all. I just do not have to at my other job."

"Calm down, that's not exactly what I meant." He chuckled a little "Never mind….you sure are jumpy aren't you?"

"Sometimes…I guess."

She had no idea what 'jumpy' meant, but she did not want the man to think she was odd, so she decided not to let on. She smiled nervously at him and waited for him to ask her some questions like in her other interview at the diner.

"Well, we don't get a lot of people in here at once. Mostly boxers and their trainers when they want a little privacy to focus…we get a lot of athletes here…we got one regular here but he won't bother you. He pays his dues and he pays extra so he can have a key in and outta the place….Like I said, he won't bother you, he's a regular old boy scout." He began to walk around the gym and point things out to her, Sigyn followed him, noting all the areas that needed attention. "Anyway, your job is to keep the place clean, you know. Bathrooms, floors, windows, anywhere there's dirt, anything you think needs a good cleaning. We had a lady for a while, but she did a real half assed job so I sent her hoity toity self packing…She says 'I Don't Do Windows, I Don't Do Bathrooms.' So I says to her "You Don't Work Here No More Either.' Now she says I ageism-ed against her. Lotta nerve right?"

"Right."

"I like you. You don't talk much. Oh, dust. I need you to dust. We got a pretty good air vent system in here," he pointed up towards the high ceilings, and Sigyn noticed the intricate weaving of pipes beams, and vents that hung above them "but it still gets dusty as hell sometimes….You clean up a few times a week, I'll give you five hundred bucks a week. Just punch the clock when you come and go so I know you really came."

"All right."

"Really? You'll do it?" Sigyn smiled and nodded her head. "Wonderful. Really great stuff. I mean its not like I got a line of people beating down the door to do this job, you know. Start tomorrow okay, that's the only set day I'll ever give you, but the place is a mess. Clean tomorrow and I'll give you a little bonus advance okay, cause the place is pretty disgusting right now. If you come across any problems, you call me and I'll fix em, I live nearby so its no problem. Any crazy problems like a rat, or a leak, or a clogged toilet, I'll take care of it. You do the easy stuff okay?"

"Okay."

She smiled to herself as she repeated the word, it was such a funny little word, and Jonesy said it more than anyone else she had met.

"Man, I like you a lot. One word answers, I like that a lot. Quiet people are a-okay with me…What'd you say your name was?"

"Sigyn."

"Sorry?"

"Si-gyn."

"Si-gyn…Sigyn…that's different. I like different I guess, and it's not the most bizarre name I heard yet, let me tell you. It's a little bizarre, but I like it. Anyway, come on in the office and let's do this crazy paperwork before I forget, okay? Then I'll let you get home and I will too, before we get caught in the storm that's supposed to come."

* * *

Loki paced near the edge of the cliff of the Chitaurian council, and looked down at the long fall to the ground beneath him. This was a strange planet, and had only grown stranger to him in the time he had spent there.

"What do you mean she threw it off the Bifrost?"

"We can show you."

They answered; Loki turned to face them, and then walked slowly towards them. He was very disturbed by the idea that she had parted with something he had given her. She never took the hybrid stone necklace off, she even slept with it on most nights. He looked into the light from the pool and heard her words, watched her drop the necklace into the abyss, and frowned. She really thought he was dead.

"Why could she not find me?" He asked the council. He trusted their words in spite of himself, and believed that even though they bore a great loyalty to their leader, they would not lie to him. "Why could she not hear my soul anymore?"

"It was lost in the fall. Even our powers could not restore that to you."

"I am soulless now?" He looked at them in disbelief. "What does that mean?"

"You are more enlightened, and less able to be ruled by emotions alone. You are no longer encumbered by the irrational and frenzied episodes of rage that used to plague you. Beyond that, we cannot say."

"So she will never be able to hear me again."

"The powers she possessed are connected to the soul. A soulless being would be unaffected. However now that she is mortal and powerless she will never hear anyone again."

"Mortal And Powerless?"

He spoke aloud, but mostly to himself. He had deliberately not thought about Sigyn much during his weeks of preparation. He had been preparing himself and the Chitaurian army for the task at hand. The scepter provided to him by the Chitaurian's ally intrigued him to no end. It was a weapon after his own heart, one that would not only destroy anything in its path, but also render any mortal creature a slave to his will. There were of course spells he could cast to do the very same thing. But this was far easier.

It did not take long for Loki to connect the scientist Thor had befriended to the cube. Selvig would be his greatest chance for finding the coveted energy source, and therefore obtaining it. He sat at a crude stone desk in the chambers they had prepared for him within the lair of The Other, and gazed into a device they had given him, which he had come to find a most welcome help in his endeavors on Midgard he put it down as the door to his chambers opened.

"We have found the Selvig, Asgardian."

Loki's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to face The Other. The animosity between the two had grown over the weeks, with The Other's frustration at Loki's authoritative and intimidating presence and its effect on his soldiers, becoming more and more evident each day. Loki was amused by it.

"Was he lost?"

The Other hung his head and shut the door behind him as he left. Loki turned again to the device, pressed a button on it and was immediately transported to the small apartment of the brilliant scientist.

He clothed himself in invisibility and made his way silently into the bedroom, where the man slept. Loki touched the scepter to his chest, and immediately the man's eyes grew wide, his anguished cry immediately silenced as he lost the ability to exert his own will. Once the process was over Loki removed the scepter and revealed himself, Selvig sat on the edge of his bed and looked completely unperturbed by the sudden appearance of the oddly clad man in his bedroom.

"Do you know me?"

"You are my master, and I am a willing servant to your will."

"Wonderful. If only the rest of your kind could be so easily enlightened."

"They will be in time, Master; you will enlighten them."

"Indeed, Selvig. Indeed….it is only a matter of time."

* * *

Sigyn walked into the steel door of the gym and heard a strange sound coming from the room. It sounded like something heavy pounding against something dense. She did a double take as she took off her jacket and scarf and recognized the man at the punching bag as Steve's friend. He did not notice her presence in the room at all. His punches grew more forceful and came in quicker succession, one after the other, until a rip formed in the bag and sand began to pour quickly out of it into a pile on the floor. The young man stepped back from the bag and watched the sand pour for a moment. He sighed calmly, Sigyn noticed, and ran a weary hand through his sandy hair.

"Another fine mess you got here Steve…."

"Yes, I feel bad for whoever has to clean that up."

He was startled by the sound of her voice, and it was his turn to double take when he recognized her. She gave him a kind smile. He was furious, and paranoid. He spoke sternly as he walked across the room.

"Did you follow me here?"

"What?"

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I work here."

"Bullshit, lady, tell the truth."

"What is wrong with you?" He was very close to her now, close enough to see her chest heave in and out as she tried to surpress her own anger. "I am telling the truth."

It made sense to him now, the sudden arrival of the beautiful girl across the hall with the feisty personality who he felt compelled to watch out for and protect.

"Tell Fury I'm not coming in, no matter who he sends to spy on me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I clean the gym; I've been doing it for about a week now. That's it." Steve looked into her eyes, and felt like an idiot as he realized she wasn't lying to him. "You are a crazy person."

She brushed past him, knocking her shoulder into his on purpose as she walked off to the closet where she kept her supplies. He held his face in his hands and shook his head for a moment, before following her to the closet. He leaned against the doorframe and hung his head sheepishly. He was too embarrassed to even know where to begin. She ignored him expertly, and suddenly became very interested in reading the label on the industrial sized bottle of pine scented cleaner she used in her mop water.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, she continued to ignore him. "I have a lot on my mind, and there are people who want to use me. I can't really trust anybody."'

"Poor you."

"Look, I'm trying to apologize to you, all right? You're a nice lady I know that. That note you wrote me was sweet by the way."

"I did not write that for _you_, it was for Steve…" Sigyn turned around slowly, and looked at him through narrowed eyes as she shook her head at how dumb she could be sometimes "You _Are_ Steve…Unbelievable."

She pushed past him again with a broom in her hand and walked over to where the pile of sand was. Steve grabbed the dustpan and followed her.

"Don't be mad."

He took the broom from her as she started to sweep up the sand. She looked at him, more than a little annoyed.

"Why would I be mad?"

"Well because I lied I guess."

"Well I'm not. And what does it matter to you if I am?"

"It doesn't!"

"Fine."

"Fine."

Sigyn stormed off and into the closet to grab the tall ladder so she could clean the windows. As she climbed the plastic steps, she failed to notice the large crack in one, until her foot went through it. As she began to fall, she closed her eyes and waited to hit the ground. Instead she hit what felt like a pair of arms. She opened her eyes and saw his face, and those incredibly blue and concerned eyes staring into hers.

"Are you all right, maam?"

She nodded as he tried to help her stand up. A pain shot up her leg and through her foot as soon as she tried to put weight on it. She clenched Steve's shoulders, he held her waist and helped her steady herself.

"It hurts, I can't walk on it."

He lifted her off the ground easily and carried her to the bench nearby. She was surprised as he kneeled next to her, took off her shoe and her sock and rolled up her pants leg to look at her ankle. He held her foot with one hand and touched her ankle with the other.

"Ow."

She flinched and pulled away when he touched it. He held onto her leg and gave her a look. She sat still immediately.

"It's just sprained. You twisted it pretty badly, but you'll live. I'll get some bandages and patch you up. Don't move; you try to walk on that and you'll be sorry, understand?"

She nodded. He walked towards his bag, and brought it back over to where Sigyn sat, her eyes following him every step of the way. The truth was that for some reason he made her feel like a child, she would have listened to whatever he said. He sat on the other end of the bench and gently pulled her closer to him. Her uninjured leg hung off the bench behind his back, while the other lay across his lap as he wrapped the long white bandage around and around it. The tighter he made it, the less it throbbed and the less pain she felt. She rested her chin on his shoulder and watched him cover her foot.

"Thank you." She said quietly, her annoyance from moments before suddenly and completely forgotten. "I cannot believe I was so clumsy. When I think about what would have happened if you had not caught me…I could have died."

"That's a stretch…you would have been fine."

"I'm thanking you. Just say 'you're welcome'." He shook his head and smiled. "I do not care what you say, you saved me. You're a hero."

"Saying things like that isn't helping me with my suspicions about you."

"Why are you so suspicious? Why do you lock yourself away from everyone and everything?"

"I told you, people want to use me…and I feel out of place, and I don't really understand the world anymore, and I _don't_ want to talk about it, so don't ask."

"Who wants to use you?" He smiled again at the fact that she completely ignored what he said. He was not bothered by it; she seemed completely sincere and genuinely upset for him. Her hand had replaced her chin on his shoulder, she sat up straight now and looked into his face, although from the way they were positioned she could only see his profile. "Tell me."

"It's really none of your business, maam."

"Don't call me maam, I don't like it, it's very impersonal." She said, matter of factly before continuing "It is my business. I want to know why you don't trust me."

"Search me, Doll, but _maybe_ because I don't_ know_ you?"

"You could. I would like to know you, I mean, even though you are a liar, you have been very nice to me ever since I moved in the building. We could be friends."

"I had friends once. I don't want anymore."

"That is a rather cruel thing to say. You don't really hate_ everybody_ do you?"

He looked at her and sighed, lowering his head as he did so. She placed a hand on his cheek and he raised his head and looked into her eyes again, searching them for anything that even faintly resembled a lie or an ulterior motive. He found nothing.

"No, of course not."

"Then what is it?"

His skin was warm and soft, and for as strong as he appeared on the outside, Sigyn could see the isolated and fragile person inside of him. She wanted to help him.

"I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. The story is one hell of a doosy to me and I lived it."

"I bet mine is stranger than yours."

"Not possible."

"Try me. Besides, you owe me; you lied to me, and you almost killed me a few minutes ago."

"What?!"

"It is your fault that I fell off the ladder. I was so upset with you I missed that broken step."

He laughed and shook his head.

"I thought I was your hero."

"You are, but you are also the reason I needed to be saved."

"You _really_ are one pushy dame." He reluctantly pushed her away and moved her leg off of his lap. She turned to sit properly on the bench, right next to him. "But you make me _wish_ I _could_ tell you everything."

"You can Steve; I promise I will never tell anyone."

"Why don't you tell me about yourself first?"

"But I asked _you_ first, I am actually interested in knowing about you. You do not care about my story at all, you just want to stall me."

She shrugged her shoulders and seemed to give up, Steve glanced at her and smiled again.

"I do care about you, and your story."

"_Sure_ you do….So anyway, how long is my ankle going to be like this?"

"A day or two."

"So I won't be able to work for two days…James is going to kill me."

"James?"

"The manager at the diner. I guess I'll call him in the morning."

She stood up gingerly from the bench, thinking she could limp over to the cage to get her coat and scarf. She quickly realized the severity of her injury, for even standing with her weight on her uninjured leg caused a sharp pain in her other ankle. Steve grabbed her from behind, helped her steady herself and sit back down. He put her sock on over the bandage, placed her shoe in his bag and walked to the cage to get her coat and scarf. Once he'd helped her into her coat, he effortlessly lifted her into his arms once again and carried her the few blocks to their building. She appreciated the gesture and thought it was a very gallant thing for him to do. She hoped it was not purely motivated by the guilt trip she laid on him, she hoped he knew she was joking about that. She didn't notice how nice he smelled, or how good it felt to feel his arms and hands on her body. She was unable to consider these things since she was still so attached to Loki's memory.

She was, however, able to be surprised and that is just what she was when he opened the door to his apartment and carried her inside. He had a brown leather couch in his living room with a blue blanket draped over it, no TV, a case full of books on the wall. He carried her through the apartment and into his bedroom.

He sat her on the bed and walked into his bathroom. Here she was in this man's bedroom, completely helpless, and she couldn't even _walk_ away if she wanted to. She had no idea why she was there, but she was unafraid. She knew she could trust Steve, even if he was not sure about trusting her. Still it was a shock to be so suddenly welcomed into the home of someone as fiercely private and shut off as he had been.

She looked around the room as he banged around in the bathroom. The walls were bare, there was a dresser and a desk with a bright lamp, and jars of pencils and paints on it, and a few large pads of paper leaned against it. He had a radio alarm clock that kept flashing 12:00 in big red numbers on his dresser. She wondered how he ever knew what time it was.

"Here it is." He came out of the bathroom and handed her a jar of cream. "You rub that on there, and it'll help with the pain."

"Thank you."

She took the jar and sat it next to her on the bed. She looked a little nervous, and he automatically felt like the biggest idiot who ever lived. He had literally carried her off into the night and up into his bedroom. He could only imagine what she was thinking.

"I'm so sorry, Ma-, um, Sigyn. I didn't mean to imply _that_….Not At All. I mean I don't do _that_…..I mean I do _that_, but not in a while… and I would never do _that_ with you…Not that I would never do _that _with you, because you're beautiful and everything so… but I didn't mean to make you think I wanted to bring you here for _that_. I am so sorry. I'm just really sorry. You must think I'm the biggest schmuck who ever lived."

"Schmuck?"

"Loser."

"Loser?"

"Heel?"

"Heel?"

"Jerk…"

"Oh, okay, jerk, I've heard that word before. Anyway, I don't think that you're a...one of those things you said. I like you. And I get much worse from other men on an everyday basis." She smiled at him, endeared by the fact that his face had turned bright red. "I did not think anything bad about you bringing me here."

"All right, well I wanted to show you some things. I figured it would be easier to explain if I had proof."

He opened the closet and pulled out a very official looking envelope with some very official looking documents inside it, which Sigyn recognized as similar to those issued for her fictitious husband from the military. She glanced over them and their accompanying report as Steve talked. He explained about the serum and how it had transformed him into a super soldier, and how he had flown a plane into ice and been frozen for 70 years. She looked at him once he stopped talking. He was surprised by how unphased she looked, not realizing that she had no concept of how long 70 years was.

"So you're immortal?"

"No. I'll die eventually, I probably would be dead by now if I hadn't crashed into the ice. But rumor has it that it preserved me so I'm the same as I was all those years ago."

"Oh." She looked back down to the papers, looking at the write up of his honorable deeds and service. "So you really are like 90 years old."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry I called you a liar." She put the papers down and looked into his eyes "I think this is amazing. You really are a hero. You're the example of the best of what humans can be."

"I was just a scrawny kid who got a powerful booster shot. Every soldier is an example of the best of what humans can be."

"I suppose that is true, but I don't care what you say; you're amazing." She suddenly looked away from him. "I'm sorry about your friends though…and Peggy."

"It's all right. No use crying about it. They lived their lives, and now I have to live mine…although I guess I haven't really been doing that have I?"

"No…but I _completely_ understand. I think I have been doing a version of that myself. Only on a much grander scale...But if Peggy's alive you should-"

He shot her a look that stopped her from speaking.

"She had a whole life, a happy life, after she moved on from me. To just barge back into her world now would be cruel."

His voice was stern and there was much decisiveness in his tone.

"I understand. But she loved you and I'm sure that never went away, no matter who else she met. If my husband could come back, tomorrow or in seventy years, I would want him to find me. I would hope he would know that."

Steve became very quiet, and Sigyn focused her attention on the floor. He sighed as he leaned back on the bed, and she took it as a cue to change the subject.

"Well now you know everything about me. I'll understand if you want to call in the reporters, they still have time to change tomorrow's headlines, '_Captain America Returns, Lives as a Recluse in Brooklyn. Full Story on Page 6._'"

"I do not know any reporters, and I would not call them if I did."

He looked up at her as she looked down on him. He noticed that her hair had grown some in the past few weeks, and that even in his dimly lit room her eyes were bright enough that he could see himself in them. She really was beautiful, and astonishingly so, and more importantly she didn't seem put off or disturbed by his revelations. She was at ease with him.

"Now what about you?"

"I'm a widow and I'm not from here. I came here a few months ago, right after my husband died. Everyone I love is gone too, and I miss them, like you do. There is much more to it than that, which I would rather not speak of, because I don't want to lie to you."

"Well, I won't force you, I'm nowhere near as pushy as you are," she giggled a little and was grateful that he didn't demand details and answers "besides, a great man once said 'he who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and error'."

"That's brilliant."

"Yeah, when you deprive yourself of all human interaction, you get the urge to read a lot." She laughed and suddenly her stomach growled loudly. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded, a little embarrassed at the sound. He went into his kitchen to make her a sandwich, and she made the mistake of laying into the pillows of his soft comfy mattress. She was asleep when he came back into the room. He put the food down on the top of the dresser and picked up the envelope to put it back in the closet. Sigyn spoke with her eyes still closed.

"Can I stay here tonight?"

He was surprised by the question.

"Sure, I'll sleep on the couch." She flashed him a sleepy and grateful smile and he sat on the bed to remove her other shoe. "You want to change into something to sleep in?"

She nodded her head and he handed her a pair of neatly folded dark blue pajamas from his dresser. She opened the shirt and held it up to herself.

"They're huge!" She giggled "I'll drown in them….but thank you."

He left the room and closed the door behind him. He sat on his couch and tried not to think about her changing clothes in the next room. The truth was her sleeping in it would be the most anyone had ever slept in that bed. When he was able to wind down enough to actually sleep, he slept on the couch. But most of the time he was wide awake; energy, enhanced stamina, and nightmares keeping him from rest.

It is a difficult thing to be a soldier during war or out of war. It is a difficult thing to feel that the world has passed you by. It is a difficult thing to endure the loss of every person you know and love in the world. Steve had experienced all of those things and then some. He held his face in his hands and wondered what on earth had possessed him to tell the complete stranger in his bedroom his entire life story. Why did she care so much and why did he think she was someone he could trust? The only comfort he could find was the fact that she seemed a little lost in the world herself, and she obviously had a secret of her own to hide. She seemed better able to understand him than anyone he had met since his 'thaw' and he liked her, still he wondered if he had confided in her too much too soon.

And telling the story aloud made him realize once again how bizarre it all was. Describing his losses and failures and mistakes meant reliving them all over again, and seeing those faces, Bucky, Dr. Erskine, Col. Phillips, Stark, Dum-Dum, Morita, Dernier, Jones, Falsworth, which meant thinking of them, missing them, and the accompanying guilt. Those who survived the war died having mourned him for no reason. They lived and grew old and missed him while he was safely encased in a block of ice, 'asleep' as Fury had put it. Those who died during the war, like Bucky and Dr. Erskine, died believing in his promise. A part of him was grateful they never saw what a disappointment he had been. He was useless in ending WWII and continued to be useless in a world that no longer needed a super soldier to fight for it, for now they had super powered weapons and fought wars with computers. It was like a crazy joke; to be the zenith of all human potential, and still somehow completely obsolete.

Sigyn opened her eyes to the sunlight pouring into the bedroom. She raised her arms over her head to stretch and yawned. As she brought her arms down she noticed the blue pajama shirt, the pants to which she had been too tired to put on, they laid still folded on the other side of the bed. She was surprised to see a bag from the drugstore on the nightstand next to her, in it was a toothbrush and a bottle of Aspirin. She smiled as she snuggled deeper under the brown comforter and wondered if the super serum kept Steve from getting cold; it was freezing in his apartment. She disliked being cold and loathed that December wasn't even halfway over. She kept telling herself it would all be worth it if she could finally see snow. She reached down under the covers and touched her ankle. It still felt swollen and sore, but she decided to try limping again. She reluctantly threw off the covers and pulled on the pajama pants. She had to roll the waist up a few times to get them to stay, while the shirt hung loosely against her body and reached her hips. She hoped Steve had a full length mirror so she could see just how ridiculous she looked. She hung her feet off of the side of the bed and gingerly placed her weight on her uninjured foot and stood up. She winced, adjusted her weight again and limped into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

He was asleep on the couch as she limped out of the room. The aspirin and the ointment had helped numb the pain some, but Sigyn had found re-bandaging her ankle to be hopeless. She gave up trying when she heard her stomach growl again, and now leaned against the counter in his kitchen, looking in his refrigerator. She was surprised by how much food he had; meat, juice, milk, fruit, vegetables, plenty of variety. She opened the cabinets and freezer to find them well stocked as well. She had no idea what to cook, until she saw pancake mix. James, the owner and head cook at the diner, had taught her how to make perfect, fluffy, light, pancakes, and that was exactly what she wanted. As she began to cook, the smell of pancakes and coffee woke him up. He opened his eyes slowly and was a little surprised to look over and see her limping around the kitchen. The sun peeked in through the blinds in the living room, she cooked with the light on in the windowless kitchen. She looked comfortable in his kitchen in his pajamas, like she belonged there. She heard the door to his bedroom close and turned around, then shrugged when she didn't see him. She finished cooking and sat her stack of pancakes and the pot of coffee on the small round table in the space between the living room and the kitchen. She sat down herself and could see the street below through the open blinds of the window next to the table. People were out and about, and Sigyn wondered what time it was as Steve came out of the room and sat at the table across from her.

"Good morning." She smiled at him and how excited he looked to see cooked food in front of him. "I guess you like pancakes."

"I like coffee more, but I couldn't figure that dizzy machine out for the life of me." He piled his plate with pancakes and poured himself a cup of coffee, which he sipped straight black. "Do I have syrup?"

"You have everything in there." She started to stand to get it, Steve shook his head and got up himself. "I wouldn't have thought those cabinets could hold all that food."

"Yeah, when I was growing up, food was a luxury. Everybody stored what extra they could get, and everybody's money went to getting it…I guess I still think that way."

He sat back down and had just poured some syrup on his pancakes when there was a knock at the door. He looked at Sigyn, wondering if she had called someone, or worse, told someone about him. She could read his look easily and shook her head no.

"I'll answer it if you want."

He shook his head and walked over to the door as the person knocked again, this time with more urgency. Steve looked out of the peephole, sighed with relief and opened the door for Anna.

"I am so sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you saw or heard Sigyn come in, you know the lady who lives across the hall. She was supposed to watch my baby this morning so I could go grocery shopping, but she didn't call or come and I'm a little worried. Guys are always harassing her, you know?"

"It's okay, maam, she's fine."

"Yeah Anna, I'm right here." She limped over to them and smiled, almost laughing at the shocked look on Anna's face, to see Sigyn in Steve's pajamas in his apartment after having clearly spent the night. "I'm so sorry, I should have called you, I guess I lost track of time last night. I completely forgot."

"I'll bet."

Anna looked between Sigyn and Steve, who were standing side by side in the doorway, like a couple who had been together for years. Anna immediately envied the unbelievable luck some women had, as her mind dreamed up what had happened between the two. Sigyn suddenly realized what Anna was thinking from the expression on her face.

"Anna! It's not like that at all, I just spent the night here!"

"I can see that."

"I hurt my ankle and Steve helped me and let me stay here last night. That's it." She was suddenly very embarrassed, and felt guilty for reasons she barely understood. "I can still babysit, unless it's too late."

"No, its not."

"Okay. I'll be ready as soon as I get dressed."

She hobbled away from the door and into Steve's room to grab her clothes and her bag.

"What's your hurry?"

"You heard her, she needs me to babysit."

She suddenly would not look him in the eyes, or even talk to him. She was limping erratically out of his room and towards the door.

"Should you be watching a kid when you can barely walk?"

"We'll be fine."

She limped out of the door, fumbled to find her key and fit it in the lock, and then quickly entered her apartment, closing the door behind her without looking back at him.

The look on Anna's face had startled her, though Steve went back into his apartment without a clue as to what had set her off. She could not stand for anyone, not even Anna who was a relative stranger, to accuse her of being insensitive to Loki's memory. She knew that Heimdall was watching her, among others, and she could not bear for anyone in Asgard to think what Anna had clearly thought. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but she felt like a fool for not considering how it could look. She was still deeply in mourning, and still devastated by his loss, not to mention the loss of their child, for anyone anywhere to think otherwise was absurd to her, and she was certainly not going to allow her foolishness to give them a reason to. She determined that she needed to be careful to maintain her loyalty to Loki's memory and their marriage, as she wondered how she could do that without keeping her distance from Steve. She liked and admired him as a person, now she was terrified that she was so taken with him.

Sigyn had just limped out of her shower and threw on a sweater and a pair of leggings when Anna knocked on the door. Philip grinned at her from his mother's arms, and Anna grinned to. Sigyn invited them in and limped towards the living room. Anna was still smiling after she sat Philip down on the floor and gave him some toys to play with.

"That's a pretty serious limp; I sure hope you had fun getting it."

Sigyn rolled her eyes, already frustrated with this line of conversation. Anna suddenly reminded her very much of Lofn.

"I fell off a ladder and he helped me. I was exhausted and I fell asleep over there. That's it. I just lost my husband, I will probably not ever be with another man, and certainly not this soon."

Her voice was strong and firm, Anna decided to nod and not press the subject.

"I'm sorry. I just figured, I mean he's so _gorgeous_ and you looked so comfortable and happy together. I've never seen either of you look that relaxed, so it was amusing. It caught me off guard a little at first, but then it made perfect sense and I just thought…I never meant to say you would disrespect Lucky's memory."

"He was _everything_ to me. Steve is nice, but he can't come close to what _Lucky_ was to me. Nobody could. I don't _want_ him or anyone else."

"All right, great, I'll date him then."

Sigyn forced a laugh and focused all of her attention on Philip after Anna headed out of the door with a promise to be back in an hour. She had to distract herself from the tiny twinge of resentment she felt at the idea of Anna dating Steve, a twinge she would never admit to feeling, not even to herself.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hurricane Sandy** **is on her way here, so I actually had time to write, but I could lose power soon...so crazy, anyway, I'm working on the next chapters until/unless that happens, so I'll post them if I can. But I wanted to give you guys something just in case I have to be gone for a while.**

* * *

Thor paced in front of the throne, his head reeling and his cape billowing behind him as he moved. Had the council been this thick headed and closed minded before? He honestly could not remember and began to wonder if he had been drunk at every meeting he had ever attended. Odin entered the room and suppressed a smile of pride; it was elating to see his son finally invested in the well being of the people. Thor stopped suddenly as he realized his presence.

"They are old men, who _may_ mean well, but have no_ idea_ what it is to be a subject. The people will starve if they raise the price of food and begin to tax them! We are gods here, are we not? Are we not infinitely wealthy? What would we need to tax the people for?"

"Fret not over this Thor, the council have been proposing this preposterous idea for ions. I will not hear of it, and clearly neither will you."

"It is not only that Father," Thor shifted his position and gazed out of the window at the setting suns. "How can I lead without my brother? I find it impossible to know who to trust, who to lean on, and no one can replace him, be what he was to me. He and Sigyn were all I had."

"You have me Thor."

"I know," he said, a grateful grin spreading across his face, then quickly fading "but there are things I cannot take to you, which they would have gladly heard and understood. I more than grieve them both Father, for they are utterly irreplaceable."

"Indeed, Thor, but they are gone, and barring some unknown mystical miraculous event, neither of them are going to return to us. We who remain, must go on, as they knew we would, as they would want it."

Odin placed a hand of comfort on his son's shoulder. It did little to reassure him, the fact was that Thor was afraid to rely only on his own instincts as leader, he could not trust in his own decisions. Yes his sense of self and purpose had been awakened in his time on Midgard, but that did not mean his ability to rule was any more acute. There were times now when he was more unsure of himself than ever.

Loki would have done more than reassure him, he would have promised to be there to overstep him if he made a mistake…when he made a mistake. And if he could not stop him, he would be at his side, to intervene, to help, to lend his not inconsiderable talents to correct the error as best he could. No matter what he said, Loki possessed a wisdom that Thor, even in his new humble state could never match. He did not even think he would develop it over time.

As Odin led him out of the throne room and advised him on how to deal with the council Thor listened, all the while wishing it was Loki's voice he heard.

* * *

Loki was more than pleased with the progress Selvig was making; his reputation for unprecedented knowledge of the 'science' behind the tesseract preceded him so much so that he was called into SHEILD headquarters without Loki having to lift a finger. Though his understanding of the tesseract and its capabilities made Selvig's mind fascinating, Loki was careful not to root around in it too much, he did not want to turn him into the dribbling idiot he had made Theoric. As a result he did not appear to the man again, and he lifted the stupor imposed on him by the scepter, opting instead to rely on his sorcery to manipulate the man's mind. He could control his thoughts, and even speak for the scientist when he felt the need; the man was now his servant, though completely unaware of his presence. He kept it that way for a reason the scientist had to appear to be as normal and non-threatening as possible to these 'agents', he could not risk someone deeming his behavior as odd and investigating him.

Loki watched with curiosity these humans who seemed determined to protect the world and their race from all threats, real and perceived. He watched them closely, for of all the humans he had observed, they seemed the most capable of presenting him with a challenge to his cause. Loki saw the determination in them to find and harness the powers of the tesseract for themselves and realized, as he trailed Dr. Selvig through their halls and into their meeting rooms, that they knew exactly where it was. He needed only to bide his time in order to find it.

Not that the Chitauri, or more specifically the Other, were willing to sit and wait for Loki to execute this all too elaborate and secretive plan. As far as the Other was concerned, every step of it presented the cunning Asgardian with a new opportunity to betray them. He was worried, apprehension seeping deeper into him with every passing moment; Thanos could lose patience at anytime. It would be nothing for the Asgardian to change his mind abruptly and go about his way, The Chitaurian leader realized his need for leverage, but could not conceive of a way to manipulate the prince to his will.

In actuality, the only weakness Loki felt was his desire to go to Sigyn and comfort her. Walking invisibly on Midgard was tortuous in that respect, he was so close to her, with the ability to be even closer, and yet he dared not go. It would strip him of his purpose to be near her, his resolve to conquer and subjugate these people would be undone, not to mention the plans he had for Asgard. It tormented him to know the pain he caused her by allowing her to believe he was dead, his only source of comfort was the hybrid stone. He had searched many planets for it -his efforts guided by the directions of the council- convincing the Chitaurian soldiers who aided him in the task that the necklace was a vital part of his plan. He found himself running his fingers along the stone whenever he was deeply in thought or anxious, or whenever he allowed his mind to wander. The hybrid stone was a symbol of them at their best, perfectly together as one, strong and unbreakable, beautiful and precious, a shining example of love and youth and power. He had thought of all of this in his creation of the dazzling and unique necklace, but he could never have imagined how much of a comfort it would become to him.

But then again, he could never have imagined what would happen between them. He would never have thought that he could let his ambition and pride tear them apart, that a lie about his true birth would send him literally over the edge, and away from the only person who loved him in truth. He thought of these things, and felt a dull ache in his heart, and was surprised at his calmness and resolve to continue on in his mission anyway. He knew the retrieval of the tesseract and his subsequent conquest of the earth were a means to an end: they would pave his way back to Asgard, and more importantly, to Sigyn.

* * *

The red counter of the diner reeled in her eyes beneath her; she had been running around and around the brightly lit room, its black and white checkerboard floor a blur beneath her feet, for 12 straight hours. Exhaustion was not a big enough word to describe how she felt, she was certain of nothing except that she never wanted to hear the words 'double shift' again. The blinking colored lights and festively decorated trees in the diner were fun to put up and even more fun to look at. The children's faces seemed to glow with excitement and anticipation, but Sigyn had long been too fatigued to notice any of it any more. She heard the bell behind the counter ring and let out a small groan as she dragged herself to the window to pick up her order. She carried the tray of hoagies and fries to the table, sighing deeply as she recognized the regular who had ordered them.

"Well, well, well, its my favorite girl." He licked his lips and looked up and down her body in a most sickening way "Where have they been hiding you at, my little cinnamon bun?"

He pinched her thigh and ran his hand across the small of her back in one quick motion as she sat the food on the table. Sigyn bit her bottom lip and scowled in the opposite direction, backing away from the man's reach.

"Anything else, sir?"

"You know what else I want," he leered, grabbing her wrist and trying in vain to pull her closer to him. Their exchange went virtually unnoticed in the midst of the crowded diner, which bustled with life and conversation, and as Sigyn yanked her hand away, tiredness caused her to completely forget her resolve not to respond to such acts with violence. "I love a woman who plays hard to get!"

"Do not touch me again."

"I can't promise you that…How can I resist putting my hands on you? It's impossible."

He twirled the string of her apron around his finger; Sigyn narrowed her eyes, not realizing her hand had raised up to slap him until she felt a firm grip on her wrist, and turned to meet the icy blue, kindly and serious eyes of the diner owner. James pulled her away from the table, into the kitchen and led her straight into his office. He shut the door behind him and motioned for her to take a seat. She suddenly felt embarrassed.

"James, I am so sorry."

"He would have had it coming." He waved his hand as if to shoo the incident away "You have been here for twelve hours straight Sigyn, it's the holiday rush and all, but I cannot have you run yourself into the ground."

"I like working."

"You practically run the place, but I am the owner and even I take a break. Go home kid."

"I'm on the clock for another thirty minutes, and I need the extra time to buy gifts."

"For who? You got a boyfriend or something?"

"No, of course not." She blushed at the question, determined not to let her mind wander to anyone or anything outside of the room. The familiarity she and James had shared from their first meeting was uncanny. He could read her emotions like a book, it was as if he knew her, almost as if he had always known her. "I have friends though…including you."

"Well spend tonight with them. Enjoy the holidays. I'll punch you out in thirty minutes. Go home."

She nodded, thanked him, and headed to her cubby in the small room off of the kitchen to hang up her apron and grab her coat and purse. She walked with her head down, trying to get her zipper to go as she went, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise, and could only manage a small smile as she recognized her neighbor.

"Who's following who now?"

She remarked, he grinned and shook his head.

"I knew you worked here. I wanted to see you- see how you were doing with that ankle, but I can never catch you at home."

"I've been trying not to be caught," she said as she started to walk towards the door again. Steve grabbed his jacket and followed her out "I'm sorry, I'm just not really in the mood to talk…to anyone."

"What's wrong?"

"I miss my husband, I guess. All these lights and trees and parties, and people with their families and children and everyone talking about how grateful they are and looking forward to the New Year….I think it is all very beautiful and I think Lucky would have liked it."

"Did he like Christmas a lot?"

"Christmas?" It took her a moment to remember that was the name of the holiday everyone was so busy preparing for. "Oh…yeah, sure, he was crazy about it. But he wanted a family….This time seems to be all about that."

Steve was concerned about how sad she looked, but afraid to ask her anymore about it, for fear she might feel even worse. The temperature was cold, yet the clear and snowless sidewalks made it seem hard to believe that Christmas was less than two weeks away.

"Is there anything I could do to make you feel better?"

"Well, can you make it snow, Captain?"

She grinned up at him, he looked down at the sidewalk and shook his head.

"No, wise guy, I can't make it snow."

"Well then. I guess not." She laughed a little as they climbed the stairs to their building. She had been determined to be alone and lonely, but her spirits had lifted considerably on her short walk with Steve, she was beginning to think it was impossible to feel completely alone with him around. "Hey, you went to the diner, did you eat?"

"No, I got distracted when I saw you. I only went there because I knew you'd…be…there."

He hesitated with the last few words, immediately embarrassed that he'd admitted them. She pretended not to notice him blush, and suddenly became very interested in unlocking the door. She tried to suppress the huge smile that wanted to cross her face. She chastised herself silently, being friendly was fine, being nice was perfectly acceptable, but this giddy feeling in her stomach had to subside, it had to disappear. She was worried by it, and yet as they climbed the stairs to their floor,she found herself saying the next few words in spite of herself.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving…but then again, I'm always hungry."

"The serum?"

"Shh!"He grabbed her arm playfully and she suddenly found herself pinned against the wall next to the door of his apartment. She was close enough to hear him breathe and see the muscles in his neck move as he talked "That's a secret remember."

"I will never tell, anyone." She smiled sheepishly up at him; he was amazed by how much she could resemble a child, innocent and vulnerable, and at the same time drive men crazy with desire. She was a living breathing enigma. He tried not to stare at her lips as she spoke, or leap out of his skin as she touched his shoulders to push him away a bit. "Anyway, if you're hungry I'll make you dinner. James taught me how to make spaghetti and meatballs yesterday, so of course I'm dying to try it."

"Okay."

"Good. Come now, the only thing I hate more than eating alone is cooking alone."

As she unlocked the door to her apartment, Anna peeked her head out of her own door down the hall. She frowned a little to see Steve leaning against the door frame, she grabbed Philip and rushed out into the hall.

"Hey, there's our favorite waitress."

Sigyn smiled at them and reached out her arms as Philip began to squirm away from his mother to get to her. Anna happily handed over the chubby baby, who smiled and laid his head on his friends shoulder, a look of contentment on his face.

"Hello, I was about cook dinner for Steve. Would you like to join us?"

"No…I don't want to interrupt."

Sigyn narrowed her eyes a bit, and spoke in a serious tone. She was in no mood for any insinuations, and her patience was thin.

"Nonsense, I insist."

Anna ignored Sigyn's frustration and happily entered the apartment; Sigyn handed Philip to Steve as he sat down on the couch, and proceeded into the kitchen to prepare the food.

* * *

Meanwhile Loki sat on a chair in the now dark laboratory of SHEILD headquarters where Selvig had done his research that day. His frustration was evident on his face, although he was completely invisible. He would not risk any of the humans catching even a brief glimpse of him. He had expected Selvig to meet with the elusive director of SHEILD, but he was called away on a mission at the last minute. Loki had yet to find out what this Fury person even looked like; it was exasperating to say the least. The Other was growing restless, and Loki could not shake the feeling that he had a nasty plan in motion, an ace in his back pocket, a bargain he would levy to ensure that Loki fell in line.

He was terrified the fiend intended to use Sigyn against him, despite his best efforts to keep her out of his mind. It was impossible not to think about her, not to miss her. He wished for a way to see her, without the knowledge of the Chitaurian council, who he no longer trusted to tell him the complete truth. He racked his mind for a way to be near her, to see her, protect her, without her knowing he was there.

Simply appearing to her invisibly would not do, for in his heart Loki knew, he emphatically hoped, that despite his newfound soullessness and her lack of powers, she would sense his presence. Not to mention the fact that he doubted he could be that close to Sigyn and stay hidden, that was willpower even a god could not be expected to possess.

It reminded him of their days back on Asgard, especially when he knew Sigyn was being held hostage by Rona's teachings, or in some private family dinner with her father, sisters and Theoric. He would transform into a bird or a bug or a mouse, and entertain her, unbeknownst to whoever else was around. But more than her amusement, he was also watching over her, the first sign of her discomfort, displeasure, unhappiness, would have been his cue to rescue her, by any means.

The memories put a small smirk on his face. He longed to be able to do that now….and suddenly it dawned on him.

The crisp night air in the Red Hook Community Park bit Loki only a little, it reminded him of the breeze on Jotenheim. He dared not get any closer to her apartment; he opted to work his magic here under the moonlight. The few who wandered through the park were completely oblivious to his presence, and paid no attention at all to the small black lab puppy that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Loki grinned at his creation, and placed a hand under its chin, forcing the adorable thing to lock eyes with him. He instantly controlled the will and actions of his dog, its originally brown eyes turned the exact shade of blue green of Loki's. He nodded his head in the direction of Sigyn's apartment and the puppy took off, he watched it go for only a moment, unable to satisfy the urge he had to follow it. His little friend would enable him to know all he needed to know to protect Sigyn for the time being, and as he prepared himself for a dreaded, and what he feared would be lengthy, return to Chitauri, he tried to make himself believe that was good enough.

* * *

Sigyn carried the bag of garbage down the hall to the garbage chute, only barely able to make it out of her door before Steve could take it from her. She needed the opportunity to laugh at poor sweet Steve, completely put off by Anna's not so subtle advances. She lifted the bag and pushed it through the hole in the wall, then leaned on the wall next to it to hold her stomach, as she laughed as quietly as she could. His face was priceless as she spoke of her flexibility and her desire to be his dessert. She was relentless in her quest to find reasons to touch him. Poor Philip was the farthest thing from her mind as he played on the floor.

As Sigyn sighed and tried to compose herself, her eyes fell upon the door to the fire escape at the end of the hall. A faint whimper was coming from behind it. Sigyn listened for a moment before she opened the door, to make sure she was not hearing things. She heard it again, this time more urgent. The wind blew bitter cold as she opened the door, and she was surprised to see nothing there, but still hear the pitiful sound, she looked behind the door, careful not to let it close behind her. A small black puppy cowered in the corner on the fire escape, his paws covering his eyes. Sigyn smiled at his adorability as she stooped to pick him up.

"Are you cold? Is that what it is? Are you lost in the cold, little baby?"

The dog whimpered as she held it against her body, she carried it inside and shut the door behind her. She sat on the floor in the hall with him to check him for cuts or injuries, and to see if he had a collar.

"Nothing. Poor baby, you're all alone aren't you?"

Suddenly the puppy looked up at her, and startled her with the color of his eyes. She would recognize that color anywhere, but set against his jet black coat she was unable to look away, almost transfixed by it. She grinned broadly at the puppy, carried him into her house. She politely shooed a grateful Steve and a reluctant Anna out of her house, waving to Philip as he was carried away. She set the puppy down on the floor in her apartment, locked the door behind her and looked expectantly at him. He looked up at her, with an expression that almost looked puzzled.

"Well…you can come out now," she said, folding her arms and leaning against the wall, expecting to see the dog transform into her beloved at any moment "what are you waiting for?"

The puppy sat on the floor, lowered his head and covered his eyes again. Sigyn sank to her knees next to him, and gently stroked his head.

"Loki…it's you isn't it?" The puppy peeked his eyes out, rested his head on her lap, but remained a puppy. She gently stroked his body as she closed her eyes and sighed at how ridiculous she could be. "Of course not, this is just a dog, and you are still as dead as you've ever been…there is no magic on this planet is there?"

She asked the puppy, he let out a yelp of agreement, she held him up to her face and looked into his eyes, she thought it should be a comfort to see eyes that strange and beautiful color again. The dog suddenly became animated, playfully trying to lick her face, nuzzle her neck and nose with his own. She laughed and put him down on the floor. He began to run around the apartment, as if looking to make sure everything was safe and in order. When he was satisfied he came back to Sigyn, and crawled into her lap, growling his contentment as she gently stroked him behind his ears. She sat on the floor with the dog and wondered only a little at the sudden arrival of it, with eyes that perfectly matched Loki's. It was a large coincidence, but she dared not let her imagination wander again. If Loki could find a way back to her, he would have found it by now, but the truth was he could not, and would not, because he was dead, just like Freya and their unborn child… none of them were coming back, and Sigyn had thought she'd accepted that. Her surety of a moment ago that the puppy was in fact Loki unsettled her; perhaps she was not as certain of that fact as she had told herself she was, perhaps she really did believe there was hope for them after all.

But death was finality; she had learned that long ago. As she laid the now sleeping dog on a blanket in the corner of the living room, she showered and laid herself down afterwards. It wasn't long before the half closed door nudged open and the sleepy puppy bounded into the room. He whined for a moment, pacing the floor in front of the bed, Sigyn sat up and smiled at him.

"You may not _be_ Loki, but you do remind me of him." She teased, as she picked the puppy up off of the floor and laid him at the foot of her bed. "Satisfied?"

A contented yelp was his only reply, as millions of miles and entire planets away, Loki smirked at the sight and sound of Sigyn, and wondered how he would accomplish anything when he could see and hear her now whenever he pleased, unbeknownst to anyone else and safely out of her presence. His heart broke a little to see her catch on so quickly to his scheme, to see the joy in her eyes as she anticipated his appearance in her apartment, but he was also relieved that he had followed his better judgment not to go near her himself. He assured himself that the time would come, and come soon, when he could return to her, as he entered the chambers of The Other and sat down in a hard stone chair. The creature seemed to leer at him from across the table, Loki sneered in his direction.

"How is the Selvig, Asgardian?"

"He progresses just as we thought he would." Loki replied, in a disinterested monotone, assuming that his only hope for keeping The Other on edge was to keep presenting himself as ambiguous to the cause. "Brilliant man, the surest path to the cube is through him, I assume."

"I would have hoped you would have more to tell me than that. You have been gone for weeks."

"I am working diligently towards the retrieval of the cube, I hope you have been preparing in my absence to uphold your end of the bargain."

"The Chitaurian Army Need No Preparation to Subdue a Race as Weak and ill-prepared as the MIDGARDIANS!"

"Yet, you have been unable to subdue them for centuries, you have bungled the task at your every past attempt, the last of which, cost you the cube, the only thing that made you of any relevance in the universe."

Loki rose to leave; The Other searched his mind frantically for a way to stop him.

"How is your wife, Asgardian? Our council informs us she was present very much on your mind as you 'worked' on Midgard."

Loki turned slowly and faced the creature.

"You know what I will do if she is harmed."

"I know what you have said. But I have seen little evidence of your ability." As the creature spoke, Loki felt the ache behind his ear begin again. "Just as you seem to have little appreciation for mine."

A jolt of pain brought Loki to his knees and would have caused him to writhe on the floor in pain, if his resolve not to had not been as strong. Even under the excruciating pain, he would not give The Other the satisfaction of watching him squirm. He relented, and Loki stood, slowly, suppressing his urge to spear the creature through the throat with a dagger. He sought to cripple the thing with his own power, only to realize the attack he had just suffered seemed to have drained him of his strength, and his capacity to do magic.

"You vile, underhanded, treacherous fiend," as Loki spoke he raised his head slowly, and The Other was shocked, even a little frightened, to see a broad grin across his face, "I'm impressed. But if you intend to scare me, you will have to do better than that. I have known pain, I have known _death_, and I have no fear of either."

"You will fulfill your duties to us, or you will regret it. I would have no qualms about murdering you Asgardian. Mutilating you, and torturing you for my own pleasure."

As the dull ache began again behind his ear, Loki considered the source, for the Chitauri had no command of sorcery whatsoever, all they had were devices, technology, much of which had been given to them by their mysterious ally.

"Then we understand each other no better than we did before this little display," he remarked with a noted effort to ignore the pain "you think to control me, and I think not."

He walked out of the chamber and into his room, barricading the door behind him with a heavy stone stool. He lifted his sword from his waist and used it to look at his reflection. There was a tiny pink scar behind his ear, upon which he placed a finger. With his other hand he laid his sword upon the bed before him and removed a dagger from his waist. He sighed deeply, preparing himself for the pain, as he knew the council were watching, and he dared not wait for his powers to return so he could numb the area before he began.

It was an odd thing to stab himself - especially in the head - he had done it to countless others in battle before, and therefore knew how and where to inflict a wound without causing death, but the pain was still there, in full effect. He moved the blade of the dagger carefully although he knew not what he was searching for. A small clink of metal against metal was his clue. He fished the thin, flat square chip out and threw the dagger down, holding the chip in one hand, his wound with the other. As the blood poured through his fingers and down his neck and shoulders, he examined the chip, realizing at the sight of its jagged edge, that a piece of it had broken off and was still inside of him.

He sighed, knowing to dig any further into himself would be a mistake, and decided to rest and heal himself once his strength returned. He ripped a piece of the cloth from his cape and stuck it into his wound before he removed his armor and laid back on the bed. The Other had no idea what he had stirred within the Asgardian, or how high a cost he would have to pay as a result of it; he had in truth intended no harm at all against the Chitauri before, now they would suffer: at the hand of their mysterious ally, with the aid of The God of Mischief.

.


	24. Chapter 24

**I missed you guys! I hope you like this. BTW I was a little distracted by the tragedy that occured today, so forgive me if there are any glaring mistakes. I'll be back to edit it soon. **

* * *

The next morning was bright and sunny, and had absolutely no effect on the chill in the air. Sigyn sat up in her bed and looked down at the puppy, who had been watching her sleep for quite a while. She smiled at him and he yelped. She grinned.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were telling me to get up and eat." He growled a little and began nudging his nose into her legs in an attempt to knock them off the bed. "You are a real character you know that?"

She hopped up and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The puppy sniffed both sides of the bed and then began sniffing around the room, trying to find a scent other than Sigyn's there. Loki held his breath a little as he sat in his stony room on Chitauri, almost praying the dog found nothing unusual.

He sighed with relief when the animal finished his task and began to scratch and whine at Sigyn's bathroom door. He would never get used to seeing her with short hair, and was happy to see that it had grown long enough to fall into her eyes. She pushed it back out of her face and kneeled before the dog.

"Can you not stand to be apart from me, little baby?" She scratched behind the dog's ears; he tried to get into her arms. "Aww, your just a lonely little misfit aren't you? Just like my Loki." She smiled and picked him up carrying him into the kitchen to find him some food. "Mylo, that's your name, do you like it?"

He yelped his agreement and as Sigyn searched her refrigerator for something to feed him, she realized that she had no idea what a dog ate, or drank, or needed to be comfortable; no idea in the least.

She stood and leaned against the kitchen counter, reaching for her phone which laid nearby on the counter and typing the words 'dog food' into the funny little box that came up whenever she pressed the blue G on her screen, and which always answered her questions about the obscure details of everyday life.

The search engine pointed her in the direction of a pet store a few blocks down the street. She carried Mylo in a blanket and headed there. She came back with much more than food, and having spent much more than she had intended, figuring she would be able to make it up by taking a few more double shifts at the diner. Watching the dog nip at ankles and yelp at children in a spirited and friendly way as he bounded home on the end of his brand new emerald green leash, Sigyn knew it was worth it. Mylo gave her someone to care for, without feeling guilty about Loki or longing for the baby she'd lost; Mylo was a gift, most unexpected and greatly appreciated.

They took another walk, this time later that evening. Mylo walked like a guard dog before Sigyn, wearing what he seemed to believe was a menacing stare for all the men they passed who leered at her. Sigyn chuckled to herself and was grateful to the dog, even more so when they finally reached the gym.

Sigyn had been faithful in her cleaning and came to enjoy the peace and quiet she found in the gym, all alone, utterly the opposite of her work as a waitress. Here she had no one to answer to, here she could work as fast or slow as she wanted and could do things her own way. She often wondered what her maids and ladies would say if they could see her now, their mistress now the happy janitor. She pushed open the first steel door and entered the dimly lit hallway, Mylo yelping as she led him towards the now familiar sound of Steve's fist against a punching bag. He grinned at her as she came through the cage and waved to him as she settled Mylo in and shut the door behind her. She only gave him a small smile, and he wondered what was wrong.

"Whats the story, Doll?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why so glum?"

"Glum?"

He grinned even more as a playful smile crossed her face and he realized she was teasing him.

"Sad, Sigyn, why are you sad?"

"Have you not figured it out yet Steve?" She asked as she crossed the room to the supply closet. "I am always sad. It is the perpetual state of a widow, especially a young and beautiful one."

"That's what I like about you, Doll, your modesty."

Sigyn pushed her bucket of water out of the closet and towards the bathroom with her mop, and stopped near Steve.

"_You_ told me that I was beautiful…or was that another lie?"

"Of course not," he said, meeting her gaze and stepping closer to her "I think you're beautiful and clearly so do you."

She laughed and pushed him playfully, he did not budge as her hand landed against his shoulder with a dull thud.

"Wow."

She remarked, feeling his shoulder, fascinated by how strong it felt, how tough his muscles were. He tried not to blush as she squeezed his arm.

"Pretty good for an old man huh?"

"What?" She asked, looking up at him and realizing Mylo's growling, which quickly turned into loud barks as she touched Steve. She remembered herself and let him go, smiling sheepishly at him. "Sorry, I was just thinking, it must be nice to be that strong. I was never big on muscles I've come to see how useful they can be."

"It's not all about the muscles, it's knowing how to use them more than anything else. I've fought guys just as big as me, but they punched like real pansies."

"But all you do is hit that bag, everything else is up to the serum isn't it?"

"No, actually it isn't." He laughed; the look on her face was priceless as she tried to understand. "_I_ was trained to fight, Sigyn; the serum is nothing without me."

"Now who's being modest?"

She smirked at him and turned away. As she started to push her bucket again, the hot soapy water inside of it splashed onto the floor a little as she struggled to get the wheels moving. Steve grabbed the handle of the mop and stopped her.

"Let me do that, you hit the bag for a while."

"Why on earth would I want to do that?" She gave him a quizzical look as he gestured towards the bag. "Besides, I have work to do."

"Because you want to be able to protect yourself, and Jonesy won't mind you training here as long as your work gets done…eventually."

"Training? I don't know the first thing about fighting let alone training!"

"Well, that's when having a friend like me comes in handy."

He pushed the mop and bucket into a corner of the room as Sigyn watched him, a little confused, a little excited. She had no idea what he intended to teach her, but she knew it could come in handy with all the leering and harassment she endured on a daily basis. He wrapped her hands in gauze and spent the next hour teaching her to throw punches; hooks, uppercuts, and jabs, all in quick succession in different combinations against the bag. He stood behind her at first, just close enough that he could hold her wrists in his hands and guide her arms in the form they needed to be in to be the most effective. Once he let go, she found it frustrating when he urged her to punch harder. She put forth her greatest effort, throwing all the weight she could muster behind each punch, and the bag barely even budged.

"Hook, Hook, jab. Jab, left hook, right hook. Perfect."

She stepped back away from the bag and looked at him; his eyes met hers and saw the displeasure in them.

"I quit."

"You're doing fine."

"My hands hurt, and all I've done is tire myself out. I feel no stronger, and I certainly don't feel any better about my capabilities in protecting myself. Now I'm tired and I still have work to do."

"You're a coward."

"I'm what?"

She was startled at the words, shaken by them. She turned back towards him, stopping in her tracks as she began to walk away. She had been called a lot of things by a lot of people, but no one had ever questioned her bravery or will power. She was insulted.

"You just started this, and you're quitting already, why? Because it's hard? Guess what, everything worth having in this life is hard work."

"That's easy for you to say."

"Your damn right it's easy for me to say, it's the story of my whole life."

"And you think I have had an _easy_time of it?"

"No, of course not Sigyn, how could I? You take every opportunity you get to remind me and everyone else of how sad and miserable you are."

"Really? I'm not the one who was locked away in an apartment, barely venturing out into the hallway."

"Oh yeah, your a lot different than me. You go about every day into the world to a job you can't stand so you can have yet another reason to walk around here with a pout on your face."

"I do not pout."

"You pout, Doll, you're a pro at it."

Her eyes narrowed on his, he raised his eyebrows as if to say he could care less about her resentment. She watched as he began to lift the bag from its hook, then suddenly she felt a warm sensation run through her, as though her irritation at his words had suddenly become liquid and energized her, and before she could think better of it, she sent a quick jab into the bag, which Steve now held in his arms.

Her eyes grew wide in surprise as Steve suddenly fell to the floor, the bag spilling its sandy contents on the floor beneath and all around him. He lifted himself to his elbows, let the bag slide to the floor and looked at Sigyn, the look of shock on his face manifested by his own wide eyes. Sigyn blinked a few times, trying to take in the scene, then looked down at her hand, which was still clenched in a fist.

"I guess I'm one hell of a teacher."

Steve remarked as he began to stand up. Sigyn walked over and offered him her hand, he took it.

Before she had fully recovered from the shock of her destruction of the bag, she was greeted with an even greater shock at the feeling she got when she gripped Steve's hand in hers. The temperature of him was the same as what she'd felt a moment ago, she imagined that she felt a vague sensation of that energy again…but it could not be. There was only one way she could have experienced that sensation, and it was not possible. Steve looked down at her hand, which still grasped his tightly even though he had been on his feet for several moments. He lifted her chin to get her attention and have her eyes meet his. He looked concerned.

"I'm sorry Steve."

"I like a girl who can throw a punch. And I've never met a girl who could throw a punch like _that."_

He helped her finish cleaning, they apologized for their harsh words, and Sigyn went through the motions of being friendly and making conversation, all the while, especially during their short walk home, her mind was elsewhere; worlds away on Asgard to be exact.

She could hear Rona's voice in her ear as clearly as if she had been walking home with them as well. She remembered everything the wise teacher had ever told her about her gift, but still she believed, she hoped, it was impossible. What had occurred had to be a fluke, a freak accident, a weak area in the bag. The possibility of that was slim, but still much more likely than what she had dreamed up. It wasn't until Mylo began to bark loudly at Steve's presence in the apartment that Sigyn realized she had invited him in. He stood at the door and looked down at the annoying little dog, who had not stopped snarling at him since they began walking.

"Mylo, leave Steve alone."

Sigyn said firmly, at which point the puppy stopped growling, but looked at Steve with a none too pleased expression.

"How are your hands?"

"Fine. I don't feel anything."

"You probably will in the morning."

"If I do I'll be waking you up to take my shift at the diner." He smiled at her, although her back was to him as she rummaged through the refrigerator. He was surprised to see her put a towel and her dish soap inside it before she closed the door, and realized that her mind must be elsewhere. "Are you hungry Steve?"

"Of course I am, but you seem pretty out of it." He opened the fridge and removed the misplaced objects, showing them to a blushing Sigyn. "I think I'll let you go to bed."

He sat the towel and the soap on the counter and headed out the door. Mylo scurried over, pacing across Sigyn's feet as she locked the door. He whined until she lifted him into her arms, and rested his head on her shoulder as she carried him throughout the apartment.

"Don't be mean to Steve, Mylo. He's our friend." She laid Mylo on the bed, changed into her nightgown, and then laid down with him. "And it is not the easiest thing to be my friend. I'm spoiled and selfish…and I _do_ pout. I'm like a child…."

Her eyes landed on the small little dogs and she smiled. They were so identical to Loki's that she almost let her imagination wander again. Anything seemed possible now, and although she pushed the incident in the gym out of her mind, she couldn't shake the memory of the feeling she'd had, or the nagging suspicion that her ability to appropriate was still very much in tact.

* * *

Loki had not seen the exchange in the gym, nor had he watched over Sigyn much at all in the days that followed. He was determined to detach himself from her even further than he already had, for in the time following his realization of the Chitauri's attempts to control him it became clear that his efforts to protect her, even his attempts to keep her out of his mind, had preoccupied him so much that his guard had been down, and as much as he hated to admit it, the Chitauri were not a people he wanted to let catch him with his guard down.

It was not as difficult as he had thought it would be to ignore her and go on about his business. He was more than preoccupied, keeping tabs on Selvig, spying on The Other, biding his time for the opportune moment to strike. In all honesty, for the moment all he could do was wait, for until SHEILD located the tesseract, or until he could find the identity of The Other's great ally, he could not move on to the next phases of his plan.

His mind wandered to the soullessness the Council had informed him of, and he wondered if tapping into that would not be the answer to all his problems. The nagging guilt he had felt for his actions on Asgard, though they were ultimately for the greater good, was completely absent from him in these endeavors, which were for nothing but personal gain. He knew the destruction he would have to cause, and did not flinch from it, but rather looked forward to a great deal of it. He would rule the small little earth, subjugate the humans, eventually raise them up to their full potential and perhaps even turn them into a race to rival the Asgardians…that was, if he could stomach life on the planet for that long.

* * *

Steve wanted to see Sigyn relax and be happy, it was all he could think of as he held the step stool in place so she could place her angel on top of her tree. They spent the morning together putting up the 6 ft tall artificial tree, for Sigyn couldn't stand the idea of killing a real tree for no reason. It took the rest of the afternoon to fill the tree with ornaments, especially since they had to keep stopping to pry them away from Mylo. She was in a great mood, smiling and laughing, and excited to see the lights of the tree sparkle in the midst of the cold, gray morning. She stepped down from the ladder and grinned as she backed up to look at what they'd done.

"It's perfect!" she grinned at it, pushing her hair behind her ears and staring at the tree. "I love it."

"So now you've got your tree, all you need is some snow for your perfect Christmas."

"I know! And, the man said it should snow today. 63% chance."

"That's a pretty good chance."

She laughed and didn't notice Steve watching her as she did so. She hardly ever realized how often his eyes were on her, and he found that even more attractive for as much as he teased her about being conceited, she was one of the most innocent and naive girls he'd ever known. She was demure and sweet, kind and unassuming, and she understood him, and made him feel like a normal person, although he knew he was the farthest thing from it.

He never regretted revealing his secret to her for a second, in fact he wished he could tell her the rest of it; how he hardly slept, how when he did sleep his nightmares startled him awake, how he was still nagged by feelings of doubt and worthlessness. He knew he could trust her with those things, but he did not want to burden her with his problems when he knew very well she had her own to deal with.

Even as she laughed and looked happily up at her tree, Steve could not forget the sadness he had seen in her eyes so many times before. He wanted to change that, but didn't quite know how.

"Thank you so much Steve, I never would have finished it without you."

Her voice called him away from his thoughts, and he smiled a little. He suddenly felt breathless, and immediately knew why. He didn't want to love her when he still loved Peggy so much, but he didn't know how to stop caring for Sigyn anymore than he knew how to forget Peggy.

"I was happy to help."

He crossed the room towards the door, much to Sigyn's surprise.

"Do you have to go?"

He stopped short and looked back at her.

"I'll be right back."

Sigyn nodded and took her turn to blush, holding her head in her hand and sitting on the couch as he left: she could really embarrass herself when she wanted to. She leaned back and watched a silly and romantic Christmas movie until Steve came back into the door and sat beside her on the couch. In his hand was a faded and worn black and white picture, in which you could barely make out a small child and a young woman standing in front of a beautiful large Victorian style house, its roofs and yard covered in snow. Sigyn held the picture and looked at it more closely.

"Is that you?"

Steve nodded and pointed to the woman.

"That's my mother. And the house is an inn we used to visit every year at Christmas time. It was always covered in snow, and the whole town there looked like a Christmas card, candles in every window, wreaths on every door….anyway, the inn is still there, and I could take you there if you want."

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Covered in snow…"

"Yes."

He laughed, amused that she was so intrigued by that seemingly tiny detail.

"Where is it?"

"Upstate. About 3 hours away."

* * *

She wore the small black helmet he had given her and wrapped her arms tightly around his body, holding on for dear life as he drove the motorcycle out of the city and down the winding roads of countryside she would never have believed were so close by them. She would have loved to see the landscape, take in the large houses and farms, the open the fields, the brooks and streams and woods they passed, but she was too afraid of falling off the bike to do anything but grip Steve's jacket. She had just begun to settle down a little when he began to slow and turn, and eventually they came to a complete stop.

"This is it." Sigyn lifted her head slowly off of his back and looked around, letting go of him, her arms a little sore from not moving for hours "Are you alright?"

He asked as he stood and helped her off the bike. She nodded, removing her helmet and stretching. It took her a moment to realize the layer of white powder on the ground beneath her feet and before her leading up to the grand Victorian house from the picture. The moment she did see it, and understood what it was, she laughed loudly and stooped to her knees to touch it. It was cold and wet in her gloveless hand, and melted in her palm. She didn't mind the temperature at all, and as she let the now slush slip through her fingers she grinned mischievously to herself.

She started the fight by grabbing a handful of snow and mashing it into Steve's face so quickly he had no opportunity to see it coming. She took off instantly afterwards, forgetting that she running from a super human, and immediately got caught and tackled -as gently as you can tackle someone- into the soft snow. She wasn't content to be pinned down, he wasn't content to let a girl beat him in a snow fight, and so they rolled, over and over through the snow, neither one able to quite get the upper hand on the other.

They were laughing and yelling so loudly that all the workers and guests of the inn had heard them and taken to the windows and porches of the house to look at the spectacle the two young visitors were making of themselves on the front lawn. They were just in time to see the man pin the woman down again, only to end up with another face full of snow. The woman laughed as he used one of his hands to wipe the snow away. She took pity on him and helped him wipe his eyes, resting her freezing cold hands on either side of his warm face. They couldn't hear what she said to him, or what he answered her with, they couldn't see how she looked into his eyes with joy in her eyes for the very first time, or how she smiled at him. They couldn't know that both of them were thinking of how happy they were, or that neither of them could remember being so happy in a very long time.

What they did see was the kiss, which seemed to them like the only logical thing for them to do, since they were obviously crazy about each other. The onlookers lost interest and looked away, going back to their routines with smiles on their faces, for the display was a real jolt of excitement for this tucked away small town in New England. As it happened, with her blood pumping and her heart racing from the fun and excitement of the moments before, she could not for the life of her remember why she hadn't let him kiss her before.

It wasn't until he pulled away abruptly and stood up that she remembered; this was not the nature of their relationship. They had gotten carried away for the moment and as she sat up and rested her head on her knees she remembered all the reasons why. Still she did not feel the guilt she had expected to which she found rather odd.

She gestured for Steve to help her up. He looked embarrassed and apologetic as he gave her his hand and she could not resist yanking him down into the snow, rolling him over onto his back and smashing yet another handful of snow into his face.

They were a sight to see for the small silver haired receptionist of the inn, for they stood before her covered in snow and leaving puddles on the hardwood floors of the antique furnished entrance hall. They checked into a room and were given extra towels and robes to change into while they waited for their clothes to dry. Sigyn hurried into the bathroom to slip out of her wet things, pulling the soft robe on over her body, bare except her bra and underwear. She was happy that the robe was oversized and covered her completely, otherwise she would have had to stay locked in the bathroom until the clothes dried. She hung the wet things on the shower curtain rod and left the bathroom just in time to see Steve stepping out of his jeans. He was shirtless and wearing nothing but his boxers. She avoided looking at him, grabbed his clothes from the floor and hung them with hers in the bathroom as he pulled on his robe.

"I hope they dry quickly," she said, closing the bathroom door behind her "I want to see the rest of the town."

"We should still have plenty of time, unless you have to work tonight."

"No, I don't work until tomorrow night."

"Good. Not that there's much more to see. This town is tiny. I should have taken you to Times Square instead; it's a lot more exciting…at least it was the last time I was there."

"But there's no snow in Times Square, I saw it on the news, it's as snowless as our street."

He stood awkwardly in the corner as she flashed him a playful smile and laid on the bed. Steve looked out the window, wondering how he could have made such a fool of himself. He was supposed to be her friend, and now he had come on to her like every other guy she encountered. She looked around the room, its wallpaper covered in flowers, the white sheets and quilt of the bed and the dusty rose colored rug made her smile, it reminded her of the decorations in Rona's cottage. She suddenly felt the twinge of guilt she'd expected to come earlier, but pushed it away, as her eyes fell on Steve who stared out the window looking almost sad enough to throw himself out of it. She smiled again.

"You don't have to stand over there Steve," she patted the bed next to her "Come lie down."

He sat next to her, resting his back on the head board and was shocked when she sat up and rested her head on his chest. She mumbled something about being cold before yawning and closing her eyes.

It wasn't until he awoke to the knock at the door that he realized he had fallen asleep as well. He could have strangled the person on the other side of the door with his bare hands for interrupting the first genuine sleep he had had in months; a sleep without nightmares.

"What is it?!"

He yelled before remembering Sigyn was there, still sleeping.

"We're serving early supper in the main lounge…there won't be any room service for a while so if you're hungry, you better come now."

"Thanks,"

He mumbled his response halfheartedly and was relieved to hear the feet shuffle away from the door. He looked down on Sigyn, who still held him and nestled her face against his chest every so often and tried desperately not to notice the shapely and smooth leg that peeked out of the folds of her robe. She was perfect and still in his arms just as much as he was in hers.

Suddenly her dark eyes popped open and looked up, and Steve could see himself reflected in them. She sat up slowly.

Once their clothes dried, they decided to redress and take a walk down the small store lined Main Street in the center of town a few blocks away from the inn. Steve pointed out the places he remembered from his visits with his mother, all of which now held plaques declaring them historical landmarks, and promised Sigyn they would come back soon and eat at the little diner and see a movie at the theater. He had to rush this visit, get her home before night fell and they were forced to spend the night alone together in the Inn. Just as the sun was setting they entered a bookstore, and as Steve eyed the art supplies hanging on the wall, Sigyn walked down the aisles of books. She stopped at an encyclopedia of mythology and couldn't resist the urge to search the index for her name.

She was listed in the S section where she expected to be, what surprised her was the short, succinct description given of her. Entire pages were dedicated to other deities and creatures; however Sigyn's entry was barely two sentences long.

Sigyn – Origin: Norse Mythology. Goddess of Loyalty, Bonds, and Fertility. Wife of Loki.

She read the blurb over and over again. Nothing of her accomplishments, nothing of her lineage, nothing of her powers, nothing of her command of sorcery, nothing of her bravery and daring or the love and admiration the citizens of Asgard had shown her, not even mention of the fervent and zealous following she'd amassed on Earth when belief in the god's was common among the humans. No, now in their eyes she was nothing but a wife with a rather long title.

Her youth as a Goddess was never more apparent to her than in that moment. She suddenly heard the words of Sif, Rona, Odin, Thor, and Hugo in her ears, pleading with her to stay in Asgard and fulfill her destiny. Instead she chose to leave and as a consequence was nothing more than a glorified footnote in the books of the mortals.

For the first time since leaving, she regretted leaving. She was not content to be an afterthought when she had already been more than that and knew she could have been yet greater if she'd given herself the opportunity.

Even as she tried to tell herself that there was no undoing the past or going back, she ran her fingers along the row of books, stopping on a volume of Norse mythology. She flipped through the pages eagerly, for there had to be more to her legend than this.

As she looked at the crudely drawn picture of a creature called Loki, which looked nothing like her Loki, bound beneath a snake and a woman holding a bowl over his head she wondered to herself who on Earth the idiot girl could be. She nearly dropped the book at the realization that it was supposed to be her. She read in bewilderment the story of Loki's punishment, and was astonished at the impression it gave of her. As if she would be content to stand holding a bowl while he lay in agony, tied beneath a poisonous snake, as if she wouldn't have torn the snake in half or tied it in knots with her bare hands, and that would only have been if she somehow allowed Odin to subdue him in such a way in the first place. It was absurd. More than absurd, it was inaccurate. How had the author of the book gotten both her and Loki so wrong? How had the humans come to believe that he was evil and she was a weakling content to passively accept her fate and spend eternity holding a bowl? The author of the book described it as one of the most romantic and genuine gestures of love and devotion in all of mythology. Sigyn slammed the book shut and resisted the urge to send it flying across the store. She could not figure out where such a ridiculous story could have come from. It irritated her, to say the least, to have a story as unique and loving as theirs reduced to farce.

She left the book on its shelf and made her way to where Steve stood at the cash register buying his supplies. She suddenly felt drained of the happiness and calm she'd felt earlier in the day.

* * *

In the dim light of his room within the chambers of The Other, Loki laid upon the bed, his anxiousness far less evident than he thought it should be. Waiting for the pieces of his plan to fall into place was difficult, but he was not on edge. All of his feelings, everything he used to feel so passionately and deeply, seemed to have been dulled. Nothing made him lash out without thinking as he had in the past, now when he was stirred to wrath as he had been by The Other's actions he could manage his rage and use it to devise counter attacks more elaborate and well planned than ever before. It seemed that knowing the revenge he would have in the end would be enough to hold him over

And having his revenge was inevitable, whether he won the world or not was of little importance, he would destroy the Chitauri from the inside out, with the help of their ally, and make his return to Asgard upon which he would reclaim his rightful place, as King.

Still he decided in this moment of quiet, clarity and boredom, that he would check in on the dog. He closed his eyes and saw the darkness of the apartment through its eyes. Sigyn was not there, it was still and quiet. He urged the dog to walk into the bedroom, to hop onto the bed and lay on the side on which she slept. The sheets and pillows were saturated in the aroma of the floral oil that she wore on her skin, and even in his new subdued state of emotion, his heart leapt and a feeling of warm contentment trickled through him at the scent of it. No matter how detached he tried to be from the Woman, he still would have given anything in the universe to be near her again…anything except of course the opportunity to destroy the Chitauri and reclaim his throne in Asgard.

The smell filled his nose and went straight to his head, as it always had, and there in the dark with his eyes closed he could imagine that she was next to him, that she had been there all along and would be there when he opened his eyes.

But of course she was not.

He heard the soldier call to him from behind the door, stating The Other's desire to have a word with him. He obliged reluctantly and once again entered the room of The Other, taking a seat on a stone chair at the opposite end of a long stone table where The Other sat.

"Good of you to come, Asgardian." Loki nodded, not in the mood to banter back and forth with the hideous creature. "The council has brought to my attention your recent feelings of detachment towards your beautiful and beloved wife, however they thought it might still interest you to know what she has been doing in her time on Earth."

The Other could not contain his glee, for he was certain that this was the way to finally get the Asgardian to yield to his will. His despair over the loss of his wife's affection, or at the very least the anger over her betrayal, would have to be enough to lure him from his ambivalence and cause him to put forth a true effort in the endeavor of recovering the tesseract.

"I am not up to the climb to the council's ledge. I will see what they have to show me another time."

"No need Asgardian. There is more than one way to see."

He pulled a clear orb from somewhere beneath the table, and sent it floating in the air towards Loki at the other end. It stopped in front of his face, and within it came the image of Sigyn playing in snow. He felt his heart lighten, then just as suddenly it dropped, as though a hand had reached through his chest and yanked it into the pit of his stomach.

Some man was with her in the snow, on top of her, and she was laughing. She looked positively thrilled about it, but it wasn't until he kissed her that Loki felt somewhat like his old self again. There could be no rational plan of action or unemotional assessment of his options where his jealousy over Sigyn was concerned. He had never had to endure seeing another man kiss her like _that; _on the cheek, on the forehead, many times on the hand, but no else had ever actually kissed her. He was intent on watching her actions after that. The man seemed nervous after the act, while Sigyn seemed surprised although not at all angry or indignant as she should have been. He was confused by this.

It was as if he was at risk of losing her once again, but this time for a reason he could never had imagined possible; to another man, a _human_ man, who she seemed to feel genuine affection for. His mind reeled as he stared into the globe, watching them walk into the house together. The globe went on to show him more but he pushed the orb back towards The Other, unable to continue watching.

"I have seen all I need to see."

"She has become human, you cannot expect her to maintain the virtue and faithfulness of a Goddess." Loki looked down the table at the creature, who was absolutely right. "Asgardian, we have had our differences, and I have wronged you in the course of my quest to retrieve the cube. But I hope you understand why I have shown you this. A woman cannot be the reason why you do not achieve your greatness, for you are more than capable of being great, on this world and many, many others. Any other. _Love _as you beings call it, destroys greatness, because it is a weakness. I can use this woman to manipulate you, therefore I can control you."

"I have been aware of that since the moment I got here, Other."

"Yes, and with every attempt to detach from her for the moment you are less and less successful. She is always on your mind, you know I have had my ways of knowing, and still do." Loki closed his eyes and sighed. "It is not shameful, she is very beautiful, and once I assume she cared for you as much as you still care for her. But clearly that is done…"

His voice trailed off as he returned the globe to Loki, the image of Sigyn and the man asleep in bed together clear within it. As soon as it was in reach Loki sent it floating away again, yet the image was emblazoned in his mind as clearly as if the globe had somehow entered it and remained there.

"I appreciate your concern, Other, but what has any of this to do with you… are you simply so invested in my fulfillment of all my potential that you feel the need to alert me to that which could hinder me from it, or do you have an ulterior motive."

"I have nothing but ulterior motives, Asgardian."

"That is more truth than I thought you capable of in my presence."

"Do _you_ intend to lecture me on the importance of honesty?"

"I would never; I have no idea what the importance of honesty is."

The two shared the first and only laugh they'd ever experienced together. It was odd, and left an uneasy awkwardness in its wake. Loki still felt the pain of the images in the globe, and could not believe his ability to contain his outer self, when inside he wanted to annihilate everyone and everything within reach, and could have.

"I have seen this kind of thing destroy many great men, I do not wish to see that happen to you. And that is the truth as well."

The prince nodded, stood, and left The Other in the room alone, hoping the words had hit their mark, for the expression and body language of the Asgardian were as unreadable as they had ever been.

Loki of course knew better than to trust The Other, and that the council could manipulate images to appear to be different than what they actually were. But he also knew that they could only show things that actually happened, they could not conjure the images from thin air. So she had kissed this human, and she had slept with him, and that had to mean that she had broken their vow and even worse, moved on from his memory. He thought he wanted her to do so, but now knew that was not the case. It was far better for Sigyn to be alone and grieving than in the arms of some other man. Maybe if he were really dead and could not know he would feel differently, but if he had to be aware of it his selfishness did not want her with anyone else.

She had thought at the arrival of the dog that he could possibly be alive, and the look of joy and relief on her face had tempted him to reveal himself to her at that very moment. He thought better of it then, and knew it was still not an option, not yet. But she needed to have hope of his survival, for clearly she was losing her mind with the idea that he was dead.

And so he used his trusty device to travel the distance between Chitauri and Earth and for the very first time entered Sigyn's apartment, landing within it very much as she had on her first day there. He took in the small space, petted the puppy that ran to its master with the glee and loyalty typical of a faithful and loving dog, and stood at the door of her room for a moment. The glass knob loomed before him and he hovered his hand over it, unsure of his ability to part with the necklace after it had been such a source of comfort and reassurance to him. He reasoned that she needed to draw strength from it now, and that it was in his best interest for her to regain her strength and virtue, otherwise he would have to obliterate the planet, damn the tesseract and abandon all hope of ever ruling Asgard. He left the apartment just as quickly as he had come, and left Mylo alone again to pat his paws at the hybrid stone of the necklace that now dangled from the doorknob.

* * *

Sigyn spent the ride home on the bike thinking of what she'd read in the books, despite knowing that no one would ever know that she was actually the goddess those stories were about. She no longer felt the need to clutch onto Steve's jacket, which Steve was more than grateful for. It was hard enough to feel her arms around him and her head resting on his back, and still keep the bike steady and under control. Sigyn didn't notice his awkwardness, for she was too engrossed in her thoughts. Her mind wandered back to the moment in the gym where she realized she might still be able to appropriate, that she might still be extraordinary.

It wasn't until she was in the safety of her apartment, alone and in the dark, that she caught a glimpse of the eyes of her new little friend, who sat waiting for her by the door, and was instantly reminded of why she did not want to be extraordinary. She wanted to see those eyes again, with their original owner, she wanted to hold her child's lively body in her arms and feel her soulmate's arms wrapped around her in a loving embrace. She had forgotten them both lately, especially during her time with Steve, and the intense and unyielding grief their loss and the circumstances of their loss had caused her.

She was beginning to think fondly of her memories of Asgard, as though the politics and powers at be there had not been directly responsible for her losses. As though everyone she had ever trusted had not betrayed her, lied to her, used her, and cost her the most precious people who would ever be in her life. A new guilt overwhelmed her as she lifted Mylo and carried him to her bedroom, a guilt that had nothing to do with what those on Asgard might have thought, and everything to do with her momentary selfishness. She shut the door to the room, too preoccupied to notice the necklace hanging on the other side.


	25. Chapter 25

Selvig was about to make real progress. He had been granted access to the deepest levels of SHIELD headquarters, and rumor had it that Nick Fury himself wanted to meet with him. The scientist, still completely oblivious to Loki's hold on him, was giddy with excitement. He needed no intervention from the prince to know that this was extraordinary; this had to mean they were closer to the cube than ever before or even better that they finally had it in their possession. Jane's research, her theories, their work for so long had not been in vain, it was all about to come to beautiful fruition. Loki could not let him go at this alone, and left the cold and barren Chitaurian landscape for the hustle and bustle of Earth. The humans, he decided as he walked unseen through the corridors of SHIELD headquarters with Selvig, were far more resilient than he had given them credit for and had a flare for the theatrical and the extravagant that he could respect. As they walked deeper inside the building escorted by guards, Selvig began to become nervous. Perhaps he had been too eager or stumbled upon information that SHIELD did not intend for him to find, and was now being led to his doom. The guards were not at all apt for conversation, and ignored the kind scientist's attempts to make small talk with them. They were stoic and serious, intent on bringing him where he needed to go, and nothing else. He was simply a mission to them, not a colleague and certainly not a friend. He placed his hands into his pockets and smiled at the ground, for if they were going to kill him, at least they had the decency to make a mission out of it; he would have hated to be killed in some insignificant and tidy way. Suddenly the guards halted, and one of them nodded his head for Selvig to continue on without them. He figured their clearance levels would not allow them to continue on any further, and as he thanked them he sighed a little sigh of relief to be rid of them, small talk was torture on another level when it was one sided. He walked slowly down a flight of stairs, turned into another hallway and then rounded another corner, lined with bright rectangular lights, yet still somehow dim, and a bit dank.

It felt very industrial here, with concrete walls and exposed pipes and wires all around the narrow walkway, but Selvig took little time to take in his surroundings. A commanding figure stood before him, a tall black man with a shiny bald head, long black jacket, and an eye patch started towards him. Selvig felt disarmed and a bit proud that the rumors had been true. Nick Fury had asked to speak with him; Nick Fury knew who he was.

Loki meanwhile, was just as thrilled from his state of complete invisibility. A grin spread broadly across his face. This was the Fury he had heard so much about, standing before him at long last. He wondered if he could or should try to bend the man's mind to further his cause, but suddenly thought better of it; surely that would make things too easy. Fury seemed to be a worthy opponent, a welcome adversary, capable of presenting the prince with an actual challenge to his cause.

Fury stepped back behind the pedestal upon which the case sat. Loki stood with bated breath, waiting as the two men engaged in conversation. He had been so patient, if this was truly what he had been waiting for he could finally move on to the next phase of the plan, and perhaps even go to Sigyn before she moved on as well. Fury opened the case looked Selvig in the eye and described the cube which glowed bright blue between them as a source of power, potentially unlimited power. It was then that Loki made himself known to Selvig via his reflection in the glass beside which he stood. The scientist glanced over to his master, immediately recognized him, and yet was completely at ease in regards to his presence. It was as though he was there and had always been there, as common and constant as the shadow that had trailed him his whole life. He smiled and whispered words to Selvig that entered into his mind and out of his mouth as smoothly and organically as if he had thought them himself.

"Well I guess that's worth a look."

Selvig examined the cube, listened to Fury further explain the history of it and why the humans were so interested in it. Loki's ears perked up at the mention of the so called Super Soldier program and the development of Hydra weapons all from energy harnessed from the cube. He leaned casually against the wall as the two men exchanged knowledge in this cold and deserted basement that could change their planet forever. His thoughts wandered to Odin, wondering how the old man could have let a relic like this slip so completely out of his grasp. Was he that confident in his infinite power and wisdom, that he did not worry about the cube falling into the wrong hands? Loki shrugged and refocused his attention on the two men before him. Selvig stood as close as he dared to the cube, which glowed a dim blue in the case before him. He looked to be trying to memorize the shape and size of it.

"Would it be dangerous for you to touch it?"

Fury asked, trying to be helpful

"I have no idea. The closest we have come to replicating the power of the cube thus far is gamma radiation. I only know of one case so far of direct exposure to gamma radiation, and it is not a happy tale."

"Bruce Banner."

Selvig nodded solemnly, they had all seen the horrifying video of the brilliant doctor's transformation into an overgrown mutated beast like creature. Selvig knew all too well what could drive a scientist or a researcher to go to seemingly insane lengths to prove a theory; he admired the noble ambition behind Dr. Banner's experiment, and was very saddened that his efforts had gone so terribly and irrevocably wrong.

Loki had no idea who or what they were talking about, though he concluded from the looks on both of their faces that something had gone spectacularly wrong for this Bruce Banner person. The gamma radiation was the humans attempt to replicate the energy of the cube, and apparently they had failed miserably at it, but Loki now understood beyond a doubt that these humans were more aware of the other realms than he had previously thought, even if they were incapable of traveling to them. They were looking for a way to protect themselves from a threat they had no idea how to comprehend or anticipate. It was charming, almost noble.

"Indeed. Dr. Banner's gamma rays were extremely powerful, but I dare say this cube must be many, many times more powerful than that, and so to answer your question, I am incredibly reluctant to touch it with my bare hands."

"What must we do to accommodate you in your work?"

"My work?"

He was perplexed at the question, as far as he knew he had already been doing his work. He figured Fury had to have a team in place of world renowned scientists, physicists, astrologists, biochemists, and others to examine the tesseract, and that his invitation to see the cube tonight was simply a courtesy, since he had been researching it for so long.

"Yes, Dr. Selvig, I intend for you to spear head our investigation of this cube. We have very little idea of its capabilities; let alone how to wield them for our purposes. And you have more than proven yourself to be an authority on the subject of the science surrounding this type of device."

"An authority….I think that is quite a stretch, Mr. Fury, I have a hard time believing anyone could be an authority on this subject, it so…undeveloped."

"Well, Dr, we would have you develop it for us." Fury clapped a hand on the shoulder of the scientist and gave him a look of the utmost sincerity. "I am a man interested only in having the best of the best that the world has to offer. Therefore you can rest assured, you are here because there is no one more qualified or better able to fulfill this task than you."

Selvig nodded, grateful for the confidence the man seemed to have in him.

"I will do my best to understand this thing, first thing in the morning I'll get you a list of what I need for my work."

They left SHIELD headquarters together that night, Loki observing the demeanor of the man as they traveled together to his apartment. He was astonished by the humility of the man, who had just been given a task of monumental importance and yet drove his car home quietly through the streets of the town, just as he would have any other night. He seemed pleasantly surprised and fully aware of the importance of what had just occurred, but he did not seem to be pleased with himself at all. Loki found this terribly odd. He had accomplished something of great importance himself that day, and he found it hard to contain his excitement. He breathed more easily than he had in a long time as he lounged on the couch in Selvig's modest and minimalist apartment. He actually smiled a smile of happiness and excitement, which he had not done for quite some time. He had found the cube and not only located it, but actually laid eyes upon it. He could have stolen it then and there if he wished. But he did not wish to do so. He had a much more elaborate plan in mind. The workers of SHEILD, especially the Fury character, were intent on harnessing the power of the cube to create weapons and now Selvig was going to be the leader of their attempt to understand the cube and its intricacies. Loki had always known the cube was the key to control, and held power in that sense, but he never imagined, that it could be used to forge and power weapons, and if he was ignorant of its capabilities in that sense, he wondered what else it could do that he was unaware of.

He moved quickly as Selvig came and sat on the couch next to him, sighing as he sat and looking very content. He pulled out his little phone and called Jane…the one Thor had been so infatuated with during his time on Earth. Loki rolled his eyes at the very thought of his brother, and began to scowl. His dislike for Thor had grown considerably over the course of his stay on Chitauri. He distinctly remembered the fierce and bitter battle Thor had started with him on that fateful night. He had been trying to rid Asgard of its most pressing threat once and for all and Thor had stopped him and thrown him off the Bifrost with their father's approval.

Then he realized he had done it again, it was maddening to him when he did it, but he had done it; he had thought of Odin as his father. In spite of himself, he still lapsed into that line of thinking from time to time, but not as often as he once had and not with fondness towards the memories of their bond anymore. Now it was simply a slip of the tongue, a mistake linked to semantics; he had after all been calling the man Father for many, many years.

It was of little consequence, especially now that the cube was practically in his hands. He was filled with a new determination, not that he wanted to possess the cube for himself, but he wanted power. He wanted to be as powerful as the cube; he wanted that kind of power to reside within him, he wanted to know where that kind of power came from and what all it could do. He decided he would trail Selvig a little more closely and learn along with him what the cube was, how it worked, and what all it could be used for.

"The tesseract intact, before my very eyes, Jane, it is astonishing. I will be in touch with you daily I expect, the magnitude of this work is….gargantuan really."

He laughed and walked into the kitchen to continue his conversation and prepare his dinner. Loki decided to leave him to it; his brilliant pawn had done more than enough for the day.

The prince was relieved, as he traveled unseen through the night with the aid of his trusty device, to have finally made the kind of progress that would quell The Other for a moment and allow him the chance to see Sigyn and finally let her know that he was alright after all. He knew she would be angry and that she would not immediately understand why he had kept his distance for so long, but he could handle her wrath for a little while; he knew that eventually her happiness at having him back would cause it to subside.

He materialized in the bathroom of a restaurant near her apartment building. The slender face before him in the light of the mirror of this thing the humans called a bathroom, which really only housed a toilet and sink, was a bit shocking to him and instantly made the purpose of his trip in vain; he could not go to her looking like this. His face was gaunt, his skin looked gray, and his teeth and eyes were dark and dull. He seemed to have neglected his appearance in the chaos of his efforts to locate the tesseract and keep an eye on Sigyn. The weight and difficulty of his tasks, coupled with the distance he had to travel to complete them and the exhausting amount of magic he had to perform to remain invisible among other things, had clearly taken a toll on him. He was aware for the first time of how far he had fallen, and almost lost confidence that he could get back anything even close to the life he had known.

But he knew that Sigyn was near, and his spirits lifted. His face almost lit up at the thought of her. He ran a hand over it, wishing he could be the handsome prince she no doubt remembered him as, but knowing that he could not, at least not that night, and so he once again traveled through space and time with the aid of his device, and resolved to begin instead his quest to find the great ally of the Chitaurians, for he believed this being knew the source and scope of the power of the tesseract better than anyone else.

* * *

Thor stood before the reflecting pool and sighed, hoping desperately that his moments alone would not be disturbed. It was difficult not to miss his brother everyday; he had been with him every day of his life before that. Now that the shock and speculation of Loki's death had worn off and the people had time to absorb that the younger prince, the regal and mischievous one with the sly smile, was truly gone and not coming back he was hailed in many circles as a hero and worship to his deity had grown with more people praying to and for his memory than ever. A large part of this was due to the absence of their beloved Goddess Sigyn, who rumor had it had pleaded with the Allfather to be allowed to die, for she did not wish to live without her love, fearing that she would descend into madness. The bond they shared had captured the hearts and imaginations of the people of Asgard, and so the realm was deeply in mourning for them. Although on the surface life had seemed to return to the norm, at night two candles sat in the window of nearly every home in Asgard in remembrance of the fallen Gods. In fact, there were so many that Thor could see them flickering off in the distance as he looked past the edge of the pool and out over the landscape of Asgard. It warmed his heart a little to know he was not alone in his sadness. Frigga looked out of her window to see the silhouette of the remaining prince and fought back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Nothing, not time, not parties, not her duties as Queen had helped her grief to subside; Loki had been her child, she had loved him deeply and personally, and when she lost him, she lost a large part of herself. Most times she felt that she would have rathered to have actually lost a part of herself than to know that her son was dead; gone forever. It was a grief she had never expected to face, and she could not imagine that it would be deeper if she had physically birthed Loki.

Her mind wandered to the night he found out his true heritage, and how broken he had seemed. Even in his brokenness and resentment, he came to her, and confided in her, and even called her 'mother'. He had loved her too, she had never been unsure of it, yet in that moment she knew for certain. Loki was her son in her heart and she was his mother in his.

Sigyn was the thing she could not think of without bursting into tears, for she was mortal now and Frigga knew that meant she was constantly in danger of dying and/or being in pain. It was heartbreaking and Frigga was determined not to let her mind wander there. Thor needed her now, for Odin, despite his infinite wisdom and power, was little more than inept at these matters.

Her lady, Liv, dressed in all black and saddened to see her queen still sitting and staring out of the window, bowed deeply to her as she entered the room, then placed a very familiar hand of comfort on the shoulder of her mistress and friend; she had been with Frigga since they were both young and Frigga was still just a noble young lady who had not even met Odin yet. Thousands of years of unwavering loyalty and friendship, which made the losses Frigga had suffered Liv's losses as well. She reluctantly relayed the message that had been given to her by a guard.

"Your majesty, one of the guards has asked me to give you a message from one of the women who came today to pray at the shrine of Prince Loki and Princess Sigyn."

"Another one...They all leave messages, Liv, and I have asked you to write them a note of thanks in my hand, you know this." She said mater of factly as she stared out of the window. "Leave me."

"Your majesty, this message is rather different than the others. This citizen says she has news regarding the fugitive, Yordis."

Frigga started at these words, and turned to look into the face of her lady.

"Summon her here at once."

Liv instructed the guards to fetch the woman who had left the note although they had very little means of identifying her, she had signed the message with only her first name: Hyrna.

Frigga paced the length of her tea parlor, alone after having cast her ladies out, her nerves on edge. She realized of course that she could be getting worked up over nothing, that the woman could be simply lying or have false information, but this was the first she had heard mention of Yordis since the night of her disappearance. The royal guard had searched every inch of the realm and found not a trace of her. She was very interested in hearing the woman out, no matter what she had to say.

Suddenly the door opened and in came Liv, followed closely by a woman cloaked in a beautifully patterned black scarf with emerald and royal blue embroidery, a trademark of the women who had devoted themselves to the newly formed religion devoted to worship of Loki and Sigyn; Logynism.

Hyrna lifted the edges of her scarf from her face and bowed deeply before the queen. The light of the torches illuminated her face and Frigga found it to be vaguely familiar. She looked at Liv, hoping she could provide the woman with a proper introduction.

"This is the Hyrna, High Priestess of the first organized house of Logynism in Asgard."

"You may rise, faithful holy woman."

Hyrna stood slowly and resisted the urge to grasp Frigga's hands in an effort to comfort her. Devoting her life to the creation and practice of Logynism had seemed natural to her after hearing of the fall of both the prince and princess. She built the doctrine of the religion on the principles she knew were important to the deities; loyalty, love, devotion, sorcery, cunning, perseverance, and resilience. She of course knew firsthand of Sigyn's ability to punish and yet show mercy, she had not forgotten her promise to the princess and was very grieved to hear of her death. However, she was more than sure that Frigga had forgotten the incident, and certain that being the head of a religion did not give her the right to behave with any sort of familiarity towards the queen. She instead stood before her and waited to be asked to sit.

"I feel as though I know you, however I apologize for I do not remember where from."

"I am the daughter of one of the more distinguished Navigators of the Realm, Your Majesty….Wilhelm Arriisonn-"

"Yes….you are distant relatives of our beloved Tyr…the god of war."

"Yes, your majesty. I was therefore raised as a noble and am roughly the same age as you, so you have no doubt seen me many times at social events."

Frigga nodded her understanding and poured the woman a glass of tea.

"Yes, Saga, Tyr's mother was your father's cousin, and sister to Gaea, Odin's first love…he was devastated by their loss to Hela's murderous behemoth."

"Indeed your majesty. My father often speaks of them, and of how the family grieved them deeply."

"We all did. It was a terrible time, a time that helped shape Odin into the king he would become, much as I think this time will shape Thor. Actually, cousin Thor, to you."

"Your majesty?"

"It is a little known fact that I am Thor's second mother. Your cousin Gaea birthed him."

"Honestly?"

"Indeed. We are a rather complicated and entangled family, many of the details of our relationships are forgotten or dismissed. I am the only mother Thor has ever known, but I did not birth him. Not that it ever mattered much to him…" she smiled a little thinking of her son, then remembered the matter at hand. "I find myself rambling, when we should get to the point of why you are here. Mother Hyrna I have been informed that you have information regarding the fugitive, Yordis."

"Indeed, your majesty. She came to worship at the house of the Logynists. She asked to speak directly with me, which I found odd, but I obliged. She told me who she was and tried to black mail me into doing her bidding, she believes me to have caved in, but I am thoroughly out from under her thumb. I have nothing to lose, she cannot control me."

"Wonderful of you, Priestess, thank you for your loyalty. But she murdered the last person she tried to blackmail and she tried to have my daughter raped and ravaged by a brute….she is rather dangerous."

"All the more reason for me to do my part to see her brought to justice, your majesty. Logynism is based on the strength and courage the prince and princess possessed; all its followers are encouraged to strive towards those characteristics themselves. What kind of leader would I be if I did not strive for that ideal myself."

Frigga nodded and smiled, listening as the woman spoke a bit more.

"I do appreciate this, but it seems you know far more than I am capable of doing anything about without help. Will you return to the palace tomorrow, when I have informed the King and Prince of this matter?"

"Of course your majesty."

Hyrna stood to leave and bowed again before exiting, giving Liv a small smile as she did so. Liv thought the smile a bit odd, perhaps she was simply nervous, but if she had not known better, she would have thought it was a smirk.

"She is a rather wonderful woman, is she not? Very brave…."

Liv tuned out the voice of her mistress as she watched the woman walk further and further down the hall. She distinctly remembered Hyrna as soon as she heard her voice. She would never forget the image of the woman pleading for her life and being dragged away by guards. She had been on her way to the dungeons for her words of treason, Frigga had ended up banishing her from the castle and she left in utter disgrace.

"Liv?" Frigga asked, as her maid turned to look at her. "Are you all right?"

"Of course, your majesty…I simply let my mind wander for a moment…I was remembering the last time we saw Hyrna and how changed she is since then."

"Was she at the ball to welcome Thor back?"

Liv shook her head, and chose her next words carefully.

"Your majesty will remember she was once banished from the palace, she last attended one of your tea parties. She spoke to Princess Sigyn of…well…things regarding treason and she –"

"Was almost sent to the dungeons for the rest of her life….until Sigyn intervened." Liv was surprised to see her mistress laugh loudly. "I suppose I had rather hoped to forget that rather unpleasant exchange….It was indeed her, wasn't it?!"

"Yes, indeed, your majesty," She said as they walked to Frigga and Odin's bedroom. "Do you not find it odd that she would not mention it at all?"

"No, I imagine she was too embarrassed to bring it up."

"I imagine so, but the proper thing to do would have been to acknowledge it, and thank your majesty for allowing her back into the palace. And why would the fugitive Yordis go to her of all people-"

"Liv, faithful, wise, intelligent, Liv," Frigga said, holding her maid's hands and looking into her eyes "we are grateful for your concern, but I do not honestly care what the motives of this woman are if she can lead me to Yordis. Besides, she did go to the trouble of helping to establish Logynism, which is a great length to go for a lie. But if you are right in your suspicions and her intentions are not honorable, she will be exposed eventually and she will pay _dearly_. Rest assured my love." She kissed her maids hands and yawned. "I am greatly fatigued and shall retire now, but do send word to both my husband and son that I have an urgent matter to discuss with them both at breakfast in the morning."

"Yes of course, your majesty."

* * *

Christmas day afforded Sigyn the rare opportunity to sleep in, she had no shift at the diner, and had cleaned the gym a few days before, and so she could stay in bed for as long as she wanted that morning. Anna had invited her to come to dinner at her place, but other than that, she had no plans for the day.

She had taken every shift she could get at the diner in order to afford the gift she had settled on buying for Steve. She could not believe her luck in spotting it in the window of an antiques shop, and went in eagerly to ask for it. She hoped he would like it, that he would know she wasn't teasing him with it, and that she appreciated his friendship and kindness. She personally thought it was wonderful, but Steve was much more modest than she was.

She was abnormally exhausted, for in addition to working the extra shifts at the diner, she had taken every free moment she had, especially while alone at the gym, to try and discover if her ability to appropriate was indeed still there. She was amazed to see herself breathe fire again and watch as the tiny droplets of water in the air surrounding her turned to ice and fell to the ground at her feet. She grinned at the revelation. It felt surprisingly wonderful to know that she was still somewhat extraordinary, for those stories of in those books had shaken her confidence in herself considerably. She had no idea how this effected her life, she rather assumed that it would have no bearing on her day to day life what so ever, but she was amused at the thought of being able to pummel the next man who grabbed at her, or at the very least singe him.

But the practice of such extreme capabilities took a toll on her mortal form. She was extremely tired and as such very glad to have the time to sleep. Mylo's barks of hunger and anxiousness woke her at midday, which Sigyn saw as still entirely too early. But she could not ignore the helpless little puppy, who was obedient enough to have never once had an 'accident' in the apartment, and who she loved dearly. She pulled on her boots and a coat and grabbed his leash and took him for a walk just long enough to satisfy his boredom and allow him to 'go to the bathroom'. They returned to the apartment and Sigyn showered and dressed for the day in an oversized sweater and leggings, which lately had become her outfit of choice. It was a far cry from the gowns she had worn in Asgard, but she reasoned that she was a far cry from who she had been in Asgard. In all honesty she did not miss her duties or the pomp and circumstance and rigid formalities that came with nobility, but on this day when everyone seemed to be concerned with their friends and family and she could not help but miss Thor and Frigga, Syn and Sif, Rona and Hugo, and even her Father. Even in the depths of her heart she missed Odin and Lofn though she could not admit that. She thought of all of them with a smile as she cleaned Mylo's bowl.

_Heimdall if you can hear me, tell them I said Merry Christmas….Although now that I think of it they do not know what Christmas is do they?_

She was sure he had not heard her, and she shrugged her shoulders once she finished the thought and put the bowl back in its place before washing her hands. Just then a knock came at the door. She recognized it immediately, and the shuffling feet of the shadow she saw through the crack in the door. Steve always seemed a bit nervous when he waited outside the door, as though he were strongly fighting the urge to go back into his apartment. She smiled again and opened the door. There he stood, in a t-shirt and khakis, looking completely comfortable although it was rather cold in the hall.

"Merry Christmas."

He said, handing her a small rectangular box. She smiled and moved so he could come in.

"I got you a gift too, and I'm dying for you to open it so sit down." Steve sat on the red leather sofa. Sigyn took a small flat package from under the tree and handed it to him as she sat next to him. "Be careful, it is rather delicate."

He smiled at the way she spoke, and the way she said rather. She was the most polished and proper woman he had ever met, she had the manners and mannerisms of a princess, or so he assumed from what he had seen in movies. He undid the wrapping paper and saw the brightly colored cover of the comic book, covered in cellophane and looking brand new in spite of the fact that it was 71 years old. The man in the stars and stripes bared an uncanny resemblance to him, and how could he not, he remembered being in the same position, punching a Hitler like character in the face. He could smile now at the absurdity of it. He smiled even more at the thoughtfulness of her gift.

"Thank you. I never got a chance to get my hands on one of these before."

"Oh you like it! And so it is real, then? I didn't get duped?"

"No, it looks very authentic…I remember this cover." He smiled again as he read the title aloud "Captain America number one, 45 thrilling pages of Captain America, Sentinel of our shores…."

His voice trailed off, she noticed his quietness and hoped she hadn't drudged up too many painful memories.

"Steve, I only meant to remind you of how much the people admired you. How much you meant to them… sometimes, I think, you forget that."

"I don't forget it; I just didn't deserve their admiration. I didn't really do anything; I saved a few friends and shot a few Nazi's."

"Nonsense, I saw the newspaper clippings. You oversimplify things, you were obviously a hero. Their hero." She pointed to the cover and continued. "I gather that this Hitler was a terrifying figure, and that the world was in turmoil because of him…They were afraid, and you were their champion. The people put their faith in you and you gave them hope. You should be proud of that, among many other things."

Steve nodded and put the comic book aside before asking her to open her gift. She tore the paper off of it, never having had much patience for opening her gifts carefully. She opened the jewelry box to reveal a bracelet made of princess cut sapphires. Her mouth hung open and she gazed at it. It was one of the most beautiful things she could imagine. She turned to him and tried to speak.

"I take it that you like it then."

Before the words were completely out of his mouth she had thrown her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I love it. It reminds me of…home. How did you know about the sapphires?"

"I guessed. You wear a lot of blue; I figured it was your favorite color."

She nodded, letting go of him as she held out her wrist for him to put it on her. She watched it sparkle against her for a moment before looking up; she met his eyes and stared into them, before remembering the guilt of the moments she had shared with him in the snow. Her mind had wandered to the moment that he kissed her often in the time that had passed since. She supposed that she had been too excited and surprised to really feel it then, but now she could remember and she liked what she remembered and she felt just terrible about that. Her sense of virtue had remained with her just as her ability to appropriate had and so she was not at all afraid that she would fall into bed with Steve. She was instead afraid of the emotional attachment she felt herself forming with him, it concerned her a great deal to think that she could love again, and moreover that she could possibly love someone a much as she had loved Loki. If that were possible, then she had completely overreacted to his death, and maybe their love was not as special or unique as she'd thought.

That was a reality she could not bear to imagine and so no matter how much she knew she liked Steve, she would never allow herself to fall completely in love with him; it would be a betrayal to herself and to Loki's memory.

But it was difficult to imagine how she would be able to stop herself from feeling what she desperately denied she had already begun to feel. She wanted it to be true that her heart was gone, that it had fallen with Loki off the Bifrost, but she could not deny the presence of it right inside of her chest whenever she was with Steve. Loki's memory was beginning to feel like a weight for the first time since his death; it was a self imposed burden attached to her all of the time, and one that she could not and would not let go of. She did not resent it either, he deserved to be remembered, he deserved to be in her heart, she found it impossible to believe that if the tables were turned and she had died, he would ever recover let alone move on with someone else. Therefore she resolved to keep her distance emotionally from Steve, closing her eyes and turning her head away from him, towards the television.

"So where are Anna and the baby, I figured you'd be spending Christmas with them."

"Anna invited me to dinner, but the rest of the day is my own."

She sighed and tried to smile about it, although he could tell she wished she had more people to spend this time with. As odd and out of place as she sometimes seemed, she clearly understood that Christmas was a time to be with those you love, and clearly those she loved were nowhere near her. Steve sat back on the couch and put his arm around her, surprising himself with the boldness of the action and very relieved that she did not move or push him away. She smiled at him, looking grateful.

"I'll stick around if you want."

They came across a marathon of Charlie Chaplin films on TV, and upon Steve's discovery that Sigyn had no idea who Charlie Chaplin was, spent the afternoon watching him and laughing. It wasn't until she came wandering into the living room that Sigyn remembered her dinner date with Anna, and realized the time.

"Anna!"

"Hey! I was worried about you; you were supposed to come over an hour ago. I was knocking at the door for a few minutes, but I guess you guys were laughing so loud you didn't hear me."

She stood there with the baby in her arms, Sigyn looking at her over the arm of the couch, Steve on the floor in front of the couch with his back against it. Both looking happy, if a little surprised, to see her and the baby. Sigyn smiled and stood up.

"I'm sorry, I lost track of the time. I hope you went ahead and ate without me."

"No. I wanted to make sure you were all right, besides we wouldn't have a Christmas dinner if it weren't for you."

"Nonsense."

"Its true, besides it's my gift to you. You spend so much time serving others to help me; I figured it was my turn to serve you."

"Believe me; I've been served enough in my life….but thank you all the same. I'm starving; I'll be over in a minute."

"Steve can come too…that is if you don't mind eating on the couch, I don't have a table."

He nodded, Sigyn looked at the blush that came across Anna's face and smiled a little. She really had a big crush on Steve.

"All right, then, we'll be over in a minute."

Anna painted on a smile and left them alone in the apartment. It wasn't until she was back in her own place and had laid Phillip safely in his crib that she began to feel a twinge of jealousy. She had thought she had gotten past the image of them riding off on his motorcycle early in the morning and coming back late that night. She had actually believed Sigyn when she said nothing was happening between them and they were just friends, but her gut told her something different. Sigyn knew she liked Steve, and Sigyn played the devastated widow very well, so it made sense that she would lie about their relationship.

As she made the plates of food in the kitchen, she looked out into the sparsely furnished living room, lit by the light of her small table top Christmas tree, which sat on the floor in a corner. She laughed to herself and shook her head at how absurd it looked, remembering when Steve lugged the huge box containing Sigyn's tree home from the store, and how Sigyn had offered to trade with her. It was obvious that she pitied her and why shouldn't she when she was beautiful and alluring, cool and lovable, and everything she wanted and things she claimed not to want, she got. She had the world at her feet, and Anna had nothing, and since she was so perfect and sweet she took pity on the poor little jobless single mother.

Anna figured she could not rightfully be angry with Sigyn, who had been kind to her Phillip since the day they met. But she could not ignore the resentment she was beginning to feel either and concluded that she would no longer accept the charity Sigyn offered. She would make her own way and pay her own rent, although she could think of only one way to keep Mr. Roberts off her back.

Steve came in with a large box in his hands, as Sigyn hugged her properly and wished her a merry Christmas. She unwrapped the box gingerly and gasped at the gift. Sigyn beamed and Steve looked amused. The black circular table had been on sale at the furniture store for months, but Anna could never do anything but admire it from afar; even things on sale cost money. She had mentioned it to Sigyn as they passed it in the window once months ago, right after they first met; she could not believe she remembered.

"You remembered…"

"Of course! I know how much you like to cook, and not having a table is no help with that. So, I bought it…The chairs are in my closet, we can get them while Steve puts the table together."

She nudged Steve; apparently she hadn't asked him before volunteering his services. He looked at her face and smiled, nodding that he would. Anna tried desperately to suppress an eye roll. They were both so attractive, and right now she could think of nothing more sickening than two impossibly attractive people sharing an adorable moment. Steve sat on the couch and opened the box, spreading the pieces of the table out and getting to work, Sigyn patted him on the shoulder as he tinkered away.

"Thanks Captain."

"No problem."

He winked at her, Anna cleared her throat and Sigyn turned away from Steve, but not before she could completely wipe the silly grin off her face. They walked into the apartment and Anna followed Sigyn to her closet. As Sigyn handed her one of the four chairs, Anna snatched it away from her. Sigyn decided to ignore it, figuring it was a mistake, but when it happened again on the second and third chair, she was a little annoyed and had to speak.

"Is there a problem Anna?"

"Should there be?"

"I don't know, you tell me, you are the one trying to rip my arm out of its socket with each chair. What's wrong?"

She knew how foolish she would sound to say anything about Steve, who had not shown one bit of interest in her, and so she tried her best to muster up some tears and lie.

"It's just….I appreciate all you've done for me, but I feel like I'm just taking and taking from you. I can never repay you for all you've done. I'm a failure as a mother…as an adult. I have to take charity to do everything…pay rent, by food, pay bills…I couldn't even buy gifts, because no one _gave_ me money for that. I'm a grown person, I should have money of my own! I shouldn't have to depend on others, I should be able to provide for myself and my child! I'm a waste, I'm so tired of living like this."

She finished by covering her face and pretending to sob, astonished at the warm tears that ran down her face. Sigyn placed her arms around Anna, who rested her weeping head upon her shoulder and sniffed, rambling incoherently as Sigyn held her head and soothed her.

"There, there, Darling…you are not a failure, times are hard, that is all. You will be able to provide for yourself one day, until then its up to people who care about you, to care for you. It is no trouble. Oh sweet heart, I wish you would not cry. I hate to see you cry."

She hugged Sigyn back, and actually felt comforted by her words, although her jealousy was still very much there. She could not get past the fact that Sigyn was so obviously lying about her relationship with Steve. She had a pet name for him and everything and still would not admit that they were together. She wondered why she felt so compelled to lie…she wondered what it meant she was hiding.

She pushed Sigyn away suddenly and dried her eyes on the tissue she gave her. She tried not to notice how genuine the concern in her eyes was.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Sweetheart, I understand. Steve and I can leave if you don't feel up to having company."

"Steve and I?" she asked, feigning curiosity "Are you finally a couple?"

"No of course not."

She smiled and grabbed a chair in each hand. Anna watched her, trying to read her body language.

"You look pretty cozy together….you and _'Captain'_."

Sigyn looked a little startled to hear Anna repeat the nickname, and although she recovered quickly from the initial shock, Anna read the look well. She had not meant for her to hear her call him that. Sigyn hurried the conversation along before she could ask any more questions.

"Well, I am comfortable with him, it's hard not to be; he is a perfect gentleman. But we are and all ways will be friends and nothing more."

"Never say always."

She mumbled, although Sigyn heard nothing as she carried the chairs out of the door and across the hall.

They enjoyed their dinner, and Anna decided not to ruin the evening by being in a bad mood. She actually felt like a carefree young woman again, Phillip was sound asleep in his crib and she had adult company there to speak to. She could curse and make crude jokes and best of all, turn off that insipid Sesame Street DVD her son watched over and over all day long. By the time they left Anna had flirted unsuccessfully with Steve, whose eyes seemed to always wander back to Sigyn. It was maddening. She thought about it as she washed the dishes, long after they had gone. She sat at her new kitchen table and sighed, the Christmas tree lights now the only lights in the room. Envy crept into her heart slowly but surely, and she began to plan just how she would be able to rid herself of ever needing Sigyn's charity again.

* * *

The cold and desolate landscape of Chitauri welcomed a reluctant yet satisfied Loki upon his return. The terrain was mountainous, with large planes of grey sand like earth between ranges. The citizens built their homes in the mountains or below the earth; the cities of Chitauri completely hidden from view of potential invaders. These warmongers were obsessed with defensive strategies, for war was all they knew; they were not inventive or creative creatures, any technological advances they had obtained they got from civilizations far more innovative than theirs. They were the scavengers of the realms, Loki presumed, feeding off the accomplishments of others like parasites. He entered his room within the chambers of The Other and immediately used his magic to line the walls of the room with mirrors which enabled him to see himself from every angle no matter where he stood. He also brightened the orbs of light which hovered near the ceiling of the room, so that he could see himself clearly. A knock at the door came and a Chitaurian servant entered with a message from the other and a tray of food. The food was the Chitaurians attempt to cook things he could eat, for these monstrous beings ate humans and other creatures they 'conquered', animals that inhabited their planet and - more often than not – each other. Their diet could be described in short as carnivorous and cannibalistic.

Loki had protested loudly and thrown his plate across the room, narrowly missing the head of The Other, upon the discovery that the meal they placed before him consisted of various parts of an elder statesman whose dying wish was to be served at the table of The Other. None of the Chitaurians present that day would ever forget the stream of expletives that flew from the mouth of the prince, and they all were grateful indeed that he had not eaten any of it before finding out what it was.

Since then, they did their utmost to research the cuisine of Asgard and feed Loki food he was accustomed to. They never quite got it right, everything they served him was the wrong color, the wrong texture, and smelled absolutely horrible. He did not trust these Chitaurian creatures; he was disgusted by them, and could not bring himself to eat their food. Therefore he would hold his hand over any meal they prepared for him until it disappeared, then with a wave of the very same hand replace it with something he could stomach. He was not often hungry, but understood that he needed to make himself eat; reasoning now that it could improve his appearance. He had been worried in the dim light of that earthly bathroom, but now in his brightly lit room taking in his full appearance he was a bit less worried. There was a wound on his forehead that had not yet fully healed, and he looked very tired, older than he had on Asgard. The bags under his eyes had grown as well. He looked thinner, if that were possible, and now that he thought about it, he didn't feel very well.

He wondered if he had ever fully recovered from what the council had done to bring him back from the dead. He knew the Chitauri were inept at magic, but he had faith in the council's abilities. He also knew it would be pointless to ask them about what had occurred; their loyalty to The Other would never allow them to give him a straight answer. So he wondered as he ate, coming to the conclusion that he needed to rest, and as he lay down he opened the note from The Other, which asked him to meet him the next morning at the summit of the council. Loki threw the card to the ground and closed his eyes, dismissing the request. He intended to sleep until he felt like waking, he had accomplished more than enough in regards to the cube and now intended to restore himself physically; he did not know how much longer he could stand for his reunion with Sigyn to be delayed.


	26. Chapter 26

The New Year came and went and so did Valentine's Day, a day Sigyn found so depressing she spent it cuddled up in bed with Mylo and a movie called Gone with the Wind, which Steve recommended by saying that the main character was a dame almost as pushy as she was. March arrived and Sigyn gave up on seeing snow fall, deciding to instead look forward to the coming of spring with its warm temperatures and flowers in bloom.

She focused more than ever on appropriation, she learned control, precision, and was working on mastery. She turned her attention to appropriating the subtle nuances of an individual. She'd mimic the voices of her customers and coworkers at the diner, perfectly imitating their speech patterns and mannerisms. She amused others to no end with her 'trick', but no one enjoyed it more than Sigyn herself.

She appropriated James' culinary abilities and convinced him through her undeniable talent with food to move her from the floor to the kitchen. He often lamented that it was the dumbest thing he could ever do, take the most beautiful waitress he had ever had and stick her back in the kitchen, but he could not and would not begrudge her the opportunity to escape the prying eyes of his often lusty and rude patrons. She cleaned the grill on a particularly slow night shift while the waitresses on duty lounged in the booths. For the moment there were no customers and everything was quiet. Suddenly the bells above the door rang, and Sigyn smiled as she looked through the ticket window and saw Steve taking a seat at the counter. She washed her hands and came out of the kitchen, grabbing a silver milkshake cup and the ingredients she knew she would need.

"Hey Doll. Are you going to take my order for old times' sake?"

"There is no need; I know what you want."

"I know you do."

He came in and ordered the same shake every time: vanilla ice cream blended with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, a swirl of chocolate fudge, with whipped cream and a cherry on top. She pleaded with him to let her ask James to name it the Captain America; he flat out refused. She finished the shake and pushed it across the counter. He stuck a straw in and took a sip.

"This is getting a little ridiculous Steve."

"I'm prepared to look a little ridiculous in the course of doing the right thing."

"I know; I saw your suit."

He shot her a wary look, and smiled at the defiant look on her face. She had mentioned a few weeks ago feeling uneasy on her walks home, as though someone was following her. Around the same time a string of robberies and muggings began in their neighborhood. Steve had been at the diner or the gym to walk her home every single shift since then. She would never admit it, but she was desperately grateful to him for it and she felt completely safe knowing he was there to protect her, and she believed she would feel that way even if he was not superhuman.

"It's no use, Doll; I'm going to see to it that you get home safe."

"I can take care of myself."

"Alright then; you see to it that I get home safe."

She laughed just as James called to them from the back that he was taking out the garbage and going to have a smoke. As they talked about their mutual frustrations with their iPhones, a series of loud bangs sounded from the alley behind the diner. The waitresses in the booths ducked to the floors and under the tables, Steve rushed around the counter to Sigyn before ducking and pulling her down with him. She let him, very reluctantly; she wanted to see what was happening. Steve peeked around the corner into the kitchen towards the back door. Sigyn watched him; he seemed to be operating under pure instinct.

"Are you alright?" He asked, turning to her suddenly and placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked him in the eyes and nodded. "Good. Keep the waitresses inside and calm. Stay Here, You Hear Me?"

She nodded, to her surprise he ran quickly through the kitchen and out of the door. She watched after him until the door slammed shut behind him, before standing up slowly and looking at the other waitresses. They were still under the tables, looking around in bewilderment and not making any attempt whatsoever to go anywhere.

As Steve rushed into the alley he saw three men squatting next to a crumpled heap on the ground as though they were searching it for something. He took in the scene quickly, the men with guns, their all black attire, the ski masks over their faces, the car idling on the street out front: they were about to rob the diner and everyone in it. As he approached where they stood he recognized the heap they surrounded; James the diner owner. He had little time to absorb that fact, for as he made the realization he also saw that the men had noticed his presence.

He moved without hesitation or second thought. He disarmed the man closest to him, then threw his body into the man farthest from him while using the butt of the heavy weapon he held to knock out the third. As he turned to look at James' still body, the other two men regained their footing and one of them fired with an unsteady hand as they advanced upon Steve. He rolled away from the spray of bullets and tackled the shooter to the ground, punching him only once to knock him out, cold. He stood just in time to notice the third robber approaching with his gun in his hand. He had no chance to protect himself from the end of the gun connecting with his face right between the eyes.

Sigyn heard the loud crashes and bangs continue in the alley, and could not stand to sit and wait when she knew something was wrong. She ushered the waitresses into James office and instructed them to lock the door and call the police. As she stumbled into the alley, she suppressed the urge to scream at what she saw; Steve kneeling on the ground in front of two men who both pointed large guns at him. The men's backs were to her, but she could see Steve's face clearly; she could see him notice her presence and watched him resist the urge to tell her to run.

"Look at Tommy, man, he _killed_ him!"

"Man shut up. Tommy just got knocked out, he'll be all right. Go ahead and shoot him so we can get out of here."

"No man. Fuck that, we're torturing this son of a bitch. I got a switchblade at home with your name written on it."

He moved to kick Steve in the face with his boot, but was lifted from the ground before he could manage the task. Sigyn hovered several feet above, near the second floor of the building that housed the diner, and she held the robber by the throat. Steve was perplexed by the sight, she was literally floating in the air, but quickly overcame his shock and seized the opportunity to subdue the remaining robber (who was mesmerized by the sight before him) and place him in a very quick and effective sleeper hold before laying him down. Sigyn's eyes were full of intensity, and she placed her hands on either side of the robbers face to begin the business of snapping his neck.

"Sigyn, DON'T!"

Steve bellowed, looking up at her and getting her attention just before she killed the man. She looked confused at his protest, but simply shrugged her shoulders and let go of the robber as though she suddenly found him too tedious to hold up. His bloodcurdling scream at his fall was replaced by cries of agony after he landed; a bone stuck out of one of his badly broken legs. Sigyn lowered herself to the ground and walked directly to Steve. She placed a hand lovingly on his face as she examined it, looking very concerned.

"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

"Yes and no."

She smiled at him, and he tried to smile back, although the image of her floating in midair in a murderous rage was still very much at the front of his mind. The robber continued to moan and cry loudly nearby them. Sigyn did not look at him as she spoke, but she spoke very clearly.

"Shut your mouth or I will slit your throat."

The cries immediately stopped.

"Drag yourself over to that wall and wait for the police. Move quickly or I'll kill you no matter what he says."

The robber began to drag his broken self before she finished speaking, with as much haste as he could manage. Once Sigyn was satisfied that the blood from Steve's nose had stopped flowing she looked around, and noticed for the first time that James' body was laid in front of the dumpster.

She rushed to his side and fell to her knees, turning him over gently. He moaned as she did so; he was still alive.

"Steve, he's alive!"

She called as she ripped apart pieces of her apron and tied them tightly around the many holes his body was riddled with. He whispered his thanks to her as she did this, she told him to be quiet and hold on. The sirens could be heard somewhere in the distance, moments later the police arrived, then the ambulances. All the noise and commotion caused a crowd to gather just before the paramedics lifted James' body onto a stretcher and into the ambulance, which sped quickly away into the night. The officers laughed and wondered how one man and a woman managed to subdue three heavily armed robbers, managing to break the legs of one. Sigyn stood near the back door of the diner wrapped in a grey blanket one of the paramedics had given her. Steve spoke in hushed voices on his cell phone in James' office. The police had not yet taken a statement from Sigyn or Steve; they were more concerned with getting the criminals situated in cop cars or ambulances and keeping the crowd of onlookers out of their crime scene.

She watched the proceedings with a somewhat detached feeling. She was worried sick about herself and Steve for she had flown in full view of Steve and the robbers, and had no idea how she could even begin to explain it. Surely the robber and his accomplice had told the police how he'd broken his legs, how she was responsible. Steve would also be exposed because of her stupidity, everyone would now know that he was alive and well and living in red hook, his quiet life would be bombarded with questions and leeches out to use him for their own purposes. She deeply regretted her actions, wishing with all her might that she could go back and make another choice, but in all honesty she knew there was no other choice to be made; she acted out of concern for Steve. Seeing those guns pointed at him, seeing the robber move to strike him, had caused her to throw all caution and concern to the wind and damn her secrets and her reasons for hiding her abilities.

She was startled by the hand on her shoulder which pulled her back from her thoughts. Steve smiled down at her and handed her a cup of hot tea.

"You're shivering."

He said matter of factly as she took the cup. A woman dressed all in black with her dark brown hair pulled into a neat bun away from her stern yet pretty face walked out of the door behind him and stood before them. Sigyn looked up at her, wondering who she was and what she wanted. She clearly was not with the police; her uniform was far different from the one they wore, and her demeanor was much more reserved and commanding.

"Mr. Rogers tells me you saved his life tonight. You seem to be a rather remarkable young woman."

Sigyn looked at Steve, whose eyes narrowed on the woman a little as she spoke. She wondered what exactly he had told her. He did not seem to trust her, and Sigyn suddenly became suspicious of her as well. She turned her attention to the woman once again as she continued to speak.

"I'm Maria Hill by the way."

Sigyn took the small white card the woman handed to her.

"Nice to meet you, but I'm not prepared to make a statement about anything that occurred tonight…"

"I know full well what occurred tonight, and Mr. Rogers called me and my associates in to ensure that neither one of you would have to make a statement about it. We will speak for you, and one of my colleagues will see to it that you both get home safely."

Sigyn turned to Steve once more, but this time she was surprised. He took her hand and squeezed it, unnoticed by the otherwise preoccupied Maria Hill, who spoke into a very intricate and important looking microphone that extended from her earpiece.

"It was lucky for you I was in the area, Mr. Rogers. Director Fury was glad that you called us in your time of need. He just hopes you will return the kindness if you are ever called upon."

Sigyn assumed she spoke to Steve, but as she looked up from her tea, she saw that Maria Hill's eyes were lingering on her, sizing her up as though she were a very intriguing prospect indeed. Before she could address the look, Maria Hill gestured to one of her colleagues, instructed the broad shouldered young man in a suit identical to the one she wore to drive them home and walked over to where the crowd of police had gathered, looking as though she was completely in charge and control of the entire situation.

They climbed out of the inconspicuous SHIELD vehicle and up the stairs to their building in silence. Sigyn used the key which still hung around her neck to unlock the door, and hurried up the stairs, Steve close behind her. She opened the door to her house quickly, and heard him wince as he reached into his pocket for his keys.

"Oh, Steve," she said as she crossed the hall and looked at the pained expression on his face. "What did they do to you?"

"They kicked my ass pretty good, that's what they did….but at least they didn't shoot me."

He laughed a little before being sidelined by a pain he tried and failed to hide. Sigyn took his arm and led him into her apartment, through her living room and into her bedroom for the first time. She made him sit on the bed, much to the surprise of a sleepy Mylo, who opened his mouth to bark and quickly closed it with a look of warning from Sigyn. He grumbled and growled and glared at Steve who ignored him and looked at Sigyn in the bathroom rummaging through her medicine cabinet.

"It seems like one of us is always patching the other one up," she smiled nervously as she came out of the bathroom with a bottle of alcohol, some cotton balls, and some gauze. "You should have let the paramedics look at you."

"I think that would have been a little awkward, don't you. Showing them my I.D.…..can you imagine?"

She smiled and turned on the lamp on her nightstand, removing its shade to see his face better. His lip was bleeding; there was a deep gash over his eye, and a horrible cut and bruises where the butt of the gun had smashed into his nose. Still he was handsome, and still his blue eyes looked innocent and earnest. She was immediately sorry that she had not broken the robber's neck when she had the chance.

"Oh Steve…."

She said again, shaking her head and going back into her bathroom. She came out with a damp cloth and cleaned his face, wiping away the dried blood that had trickled from his nose and the dirt there as well. She held his chin in her hand and began the process of cleaning his cuts with the alcohol. She worked in silence and smirked at the fact that he did not flinch or squirm at all. She was certain it was painful and she wondered what played a bigger part in his calm, the serum or his pride. Steve closed his eyes as she worked on him, trying to ignore the pain in his ribs and face and think of a way to ask Sigyn the question that was burning in his mind.

She held his hand and wiped it with another damp cloth from the bathroom, it was badly swollen around the knuckles, so she wrapped it with gauze. She helped Steve out of his shirt and felt terrible to see him flinch as he lifted his arms and she pulled his now bloodstained t-shirt off. He sighed deeply as he lowered them, she suppressed a gasp. He was perfect and beautiful, but he was also black and blue. She knelt on the floor before him and ran her fingers across the bruises on his abs as gently as she could. She had no idea how to heal them, at least not without magic, and she certainly had no idea that her touch made him feel as though nothing too serious had happened to him at all.

"What should I do?"

"You could wrap me up, just like you did with my hand."

"I'm out of gauze," she said, resting her hands on his sides, "but I have those bandages like the ones you used for my ankle."

"Those will work."

She got them from her cabinet and crawled behind him on the bed. She kneeled there and began to wrap the bandages around him, both of them quiet as she worked. Steve would wince as she tightened the bandages, she would frown and shake her head. As she began to tuck the end of the last bandage in Steve spoke, almost startling her with the suddenness of his voice.

"Sigyn…."

"Umhm."

She responded, deeply in concentration as she finished up.

"Why can you fly?"

She stopped and looked at the back of his head. For a moment she had been so preoccupied with caring for Steve she had forgotten what she'd done in the alley. She still had no idea how to explain it, she wanted to tell him the truth…but she could not imagine how she could begin to do that.

"Do you remember when I told you my story was even stranger than yours…so strange I'd rather not tell it?"  
"Yes."

"Well, a part of that strange story is the reason that I can fly….I can do a lot of things actually. It's why I can imitate people so well, and why I was able to knock out you and the punching bag. Where I come from they call it appropriation."

"There's a name for it where you come from…."

"Yes."

"So you're not the only one."

"I'm one of few, but I'm the only one around now, as far as I know."

"Wow, I guess Louisiana is a pretty strange place, huh?"

"Yeah, tell me about it."

* * *

Loki's device became more important to him than ever when he realized he could travel to many planets and realms with it. He searched every one he could find for a power, an energy, anything connected to or comparable with the cube. He shifted his form to blend in undetected with the beings on each planet, and although he found nothing like the tesseract anywhere on these journey's, only two names consistently were mentioned in connection with the cube: Odin and Thanos.

He had heard the name before. Thanos was notorious for his obsession: his never ending, unyielding, infatuation with Death. Loki heard many variations of the tale, but came to one very clear conclusion on his own. Thanos needed the cube to prove his worth to Death; he needed to be able to rule the universe to impress his love. It was a little sickening; Loki had hoped for something far more interesting than a love story, especially a tale of unrequited love.

But now a great many things made far more sense to him. The Other's great ally was indeed Thanos, for the only thing Thanos was better known for than his ridiculous crush on death was his prowess with the science of weaponry and gadgetry. Loki's mind wandered to the infinity gauntlet in Odin's treasure room, the source of power and control of all the realms. He considered all the technology the Chitauri possessed and he considered the very device that he held. He knew he was meant to retrieve the cube to save Chitauri from the wrath of Thanos….but knowing full well what the wrath of Thanos was capable of, and being very much still bent on having his revenge against The Other, he sneered a sneer of the utmost deviousness. He knew exactly what to do to get everything he wanted, and then some.

Yet he remembered Odin's bitter descriptions of battle with Thanos and his army of Titans as the first time he realized his father's victories in battle were not certain. They were hard won and many Asgardian warriors died. Thanos was a mad man, blood thirsty and murderous. Loki knew his ability to deceive and trick was spectacular, the greatest in the universe, but still he hesitated. He needed to be able to pull off double crossing The Other, without Thanos knowing that he intended to double cross anyone.

He longed to be able to strategize with someone, namely Sigyn, as he lounged on the cliff of the Chitaurian council, waiting for the other to arrive as they chanted behind him. He had seen so many places, so many species and races of beings, that to be back on Chitauri for even a few moments was horribly unpleasant. But he obliged The Others request to see him so he would not become suspicious.

"Hello, Asgardian."

Loki stood up and walked away from the edge of the cliff, closer to where The Other and the council stood. He nodded a greeting to The Other and waited for him to speak. He was shocked to see the council disappear with a wave of his staff and The Other smile a hideous smile.

"Good to know I can impress you Asgardian." He paced away from Loki and turned towards him suddenly. "I am curious to know of your travels."

"Travels?"

"You have been gone from Chitauri for quite some time…and you have not been to Earth, so do not bother to tell me that lie. Where have you been?"

"Away."

"I am in no mood for this Asgardian. I have been patient with you; my tolerance of your…deviousness is running thin."

Loki chuckled. Devious was a very good word for it, The Other was nothing if not articulate. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked at his adversary.

"Well, you strike me as a man who knows the answer to the question he asks, therefore, you tell me: where have I been?"

"You Have Been Asking About The Cube On Planets Near and Far. WE WOULD KNOW WHY?!"

Loki laughed outright at the anger and indignation of the creature. He composed himself, but still grinned as he spoke.

"Am I not entitled to ask after the thing? It is after all _my father's_ cube."

"I was not aware that Laufey of Jotenheim had built a cosmic cube."

Loki's grin disappeared and his eyes narrowed. The Other took his turn to smirk at the look of disdain upon the prince's face. Loki spoke slowly.

"Laufey, of Jotenheim, is not my father."

"Neither is Odin."

Loki clenched his jaw and looked away from the creature. He hated to be bested by him, but could think of no argument. It was the truth, and even the God of Lies could not come up with a way around it.

He suddenly thought again of Sigyn's words, that he could choose to be an Odinsonn or a Laufeyson. Now he believed he had finally come to a decision; he chose to be neither.

"That is true enough. But I knew him as such for a very long time, and the universe still regards me as his son. I went to learn what I could of the cube, from its creation to its uses, to ensure that Selvig and the humans do not become more knowledgeable about it than I am."

The Other nodded and looked almost satisfied with the Asgardian's response.

"I am sorry I doubted you."

As he entered his room in The Other's lair for the first time in months he readjusted the orbs that hovered to a brighter setting and was taken aback by his appearance in the mirrors that surrounded him. He laughed in relief to see himself looking like himself again. It seemed that his travels had done him well.

He was pale still, he figured that would never change, his hair had grown to shoulder length and his eyes glowed greener than they had in a long time. His teeth gleamed white, his skin was smooth, he fancied himself to be just as handsome as he was on Asgard. He figured it was his absence from the Chitaurian atmosphere, with its hideous dried out reptilian occupants, that had helped to restore him to his old self. He wasted no time in heading for Earth.

* * *

Sigyn insisted that Steve spend the night with her, in her bed, and allow her to care for him as he had done for her. She would not take no for an answer, reasoning that she might never get another chance to return his kindness and pointing out that it would be extremely rude of him to deny her the opportunity. She knew he was in a bad way when he said he wasn't hungry, and began to worry a little when he declared that all he wanted to do was sleep.

He rested his head on her pillows and covered himself in the sheets after she stripped him down to his boxers. Mylo barked and growled at Steve making himself comfortable on the bed, Sigyn lifted him off the mattress and put him in the living room, closing the door to the bedroom in his face. He whined and whimpered, and Sigyn ignored him, turning to Steve.

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Do you want anything?"

"No."

"Steve, you are a horrible patient. You won't let me feed you, you blush while I undress you; you are reluctant to even stay here. Was I like this?"

"No."

"Steve! Say something besides no."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome," she said, crossing the room to his side of the bed and replacing the lampshade before she turned off the light "I should be thanking you. You saved me in too many ways to count tonight. I suppose I needed you after all."

"I needed you too."

"I'm glad we're neighbors."

"Me too, and I'm glad that your pushy as all hell."

She laughed and kissed his forehead before going to her dresser and grabbing pajamas.

"Doll…"

"Yes," she grinned to herself at the nickname. "Captain?"

"Where's that card Maria Hill gave you?"

"In my pocket."

She fished it out and handed it to him before going into the bathroom. Once the door was closed Steve examined the card. He was surprised Hill seemed so interested in Sigyn, he had not mentioned a word about her in his phone call to Fury, yet Hill came on the scene talking to her as if she had seen the entire encounter herself. The card listed her as a deputy director of SHIELD; Steve shook his head and placed the card on the nightstand. He did not want them harassing Sigyn to join their 'team' or 'initiative' or 'experiment' or whatever they were calling it today.

He had quickly processed and come to terms with what little she told him about her ability. He knew there was much more that she would not or could not say, but he appreciated the fact that she simply told him she had secrets, rather than him finding out about them on his own. She had been as honest with him as she could, and that was refreshing.

She came out of the bathroom in her blue pajamas and smiled shyly at him.

"I know a gentleman would sleep on the couch…but I never claimed to be a gentleman." Her hair was pulled into a bun atop her head, it had grown to just below her shoulders and she looked more beautiful than ever. She crawled into bed, under her sheets and comforters, and turned to face Steve, who laid flat on his back looking up at the ceiling. "Who was that woman?"

"Maria Hill?" Sigyn nodded "She works for SHIELD, the people I told you about."

"The ones who want to use you." He nodded. "Why on earth did you call _them_?"

"They were the only ones who could get…us out of there without the police talking to us."

He focused his eyes on the ceiling again, Sigyn smiled at his profile. He was quickly becoming the bravest and most thoughtful man she had ever known.

"Get _us_ out of there, or get me out of there?"

He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes and did not see her as she sat up, leaned across him and planted a soft kiss right on his lips. His eyes opened wide, then his lids lowered slowly as she continued to kiss him and he felt more comfortable. She placed one hand on his neck, the other rested on the pillow above his head, gently curling his hair around her fingers. She pulled away from him and smiled, looking like a little girl who had done something bad and was not a bit sorry.

"What was that for?"

"It was for you; I think you are wonderful, and I got the urge to kiss you for it."

"You're not so bad yourself, Doll." He said slowly, still surprised and feeling a little dizzy. She smiled and kissed him again, this time on his forehead, on his nose, then again on his lips and finally his chin. "Wow."

She giggled and rested her hand on his chin, looking in his eyes which were still striking even in the dark.

"Are you in pain?"

"I'm fine. I'll probably be all healed up by the morning."

"It's 5:30. It'll be morning in less than an hour."

"Really?"

He laughed, and winced, Sigyn's hand moved to his chest, out of concern. He took it in his own and held it, slowly drifting off to sleep as he did so.

Sigyn nodded off as well. She woke from her drowsy state to the sound of Mylo panting and something scraping against the bedroom door.

"Mylo, stop it!"

She said in a halfhearted hushed whisper. He continued to scratch at the door. She pulled her hand away from Steve and made her sleepy way to the bedroom door. She opened it and stooped to Mylo, who licked her face and nuzzled her neck, his favorite way of apologizing. Sigyn smiled, scratching him behind his ears, and noticed as she opened her eyes that she still heard the scraping sound against the door.

She turned behind her, and there it hung, swinging back and forth from the doorknob and glittering in the rays of the slowly rising sun; the hybrid stone. The beautiful, one of a kind necklace that Loki had given her long, long ago. The beautiful one of a kind necklace that she had thrown into the abyss long, long ago. And yet here it was, perfectly intact and before her. She lifted it from the door knob and sat on the floor, leaning against the door frame, Mylo's head in her lap. The necklace, this powerless and inanimate object, had fallen into the very same abyss that her beloved had, and come out whole and perfect on the other side; if it could do that, then maybe there was hope for Loki after all.

But that, she knew, was absurd and so she pushed the thought out of her mind before it could begin to fully form. She reprimanded herself internally for allowing her mind to wander there for even a moment; why did every unusual or odd occurrence in her life on Midgard seem to her a sign that Loki could come back to her, despite the fact that she was supposed to have accepted his death before she had ever left Asgard? The simple truth was that Loki was not coming back, if he could come back, he would have come back by now.

But then again, the hybrid stone was theirs, and no one else's. It meant everything to them, it symbolized them. Loki had to have found it, deliberately hung it from the door. How else could it have gotten there? Surely Odin and Heimdall had not fashioned a new stone, neither one of them had natures that thoughtful or sentimental. She seriously doubted they even knew she had ever thrown it away.

It made no sense. It perplexed her, she did not know what to think of it and strangely she was not sure that it was important; she was simply glad to have it back. It reminded her of the time when she thought they would never have a future at all, but Loki knew better;

_You and I will be together always. Never doubt that_. _Our feelings…will last through eternity. Never absent, never broken, never waning._

Valhalla she knew was a magical place, and maybe there again he knew something that she did not. Perhaps he could see and hear everything she did, and perhaps he had found a way to reunite her with the most lasting token of his affection he had ever given her, since he could not be reunited with her himself. Or perhaps he sent it back to her as a reminder that in the end they would be together again in Valhalla. The thought made her smile. She lifted Mylo and laid the hybrid stone on her nightstand as she got him situated on his doggy bed. He protested a bit at being kicked out of the real bed in favor of Steve, but Sigyn ignored him. Before she lay down she washed her face again and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were tired, but bright, her skin glowed, brown with those vibrant, exotic, red undertones, her features were delicate and regal as ever. But now just behind her eyes and the small smile that crossed her face was something that had not been there before: hope.

* * *

Selvig and his team were building a reactor to stabilize the cube, which would further their ability to research, and more importantly test, its capabilities. Loki was pleased with the progress they made, but it was painstakingly slow work, like practically everything else the humans did. He decided not to hover over Selvig's shoulder in this endeavor and instead wandered over to an open computer. He materialized before it in the shape of a nondescript human in a SHIELD uniform, and tinkered away at the keys unnoticed and unbothered. The workings of the machine were a mystery to him, but he shrugged his shoulders and touched the keys before him, much as he had seen Selvig do. He punched the symbols, letters they called them, spelled out Super Soldier, and pressed the word search. He read the reports that followed quickly. Steve Rogers, alias Captain America, had apparently been injected with a serum that was somehow connected to the cube and become a super human able to perform and think at the zenith of human capability. He recognized the photo almost immediately; this was the man that Sigyn had been with in the snow, and he lived in Red Hook Brooklyn, where Sigyn lived.

Loki frowned. Although he was unhappy to have seemingly lost her affection to this mortal, he was somewhat glad to know that the mortal was exceptional, at least on paper. Loki continued to read the information on the screen, about Steve's crash and the subsequent decades he spent encased in ice until his thawing. He also noted a small notation made at the very end of the page, typed in bold red font: Declines participation in the Avengers Initiative.

His research of this initiative brought him to the names of the other mortals involved, Tony Stark who despite being an all around genius and creator of some remarkable metal suit was deemed unfit to participate in the program, and Bruce Banner, the brilliant scientist who at times reverted into a green monstrous creature the likes of which Loki had never seen before. He watched the notorious video of "The Hulk" in action, and although it was short and rather shaky and blurred, it was obvious this being was powerful, deadly, and uncontrollable.

In addition to these exceptionally gifted people there were also two SHIELD agents mentioned in connection with the initiative: Natasha Romanoff, code name Black Widow, and Clint Barton, code name Hawkeye. Loki read the back story of these two and came to the conclusion that they were no more than glorified assassins, seeing nothing truly remarkable about them at all except their ability to detach from their emotions and kill on command without remorse. He read the long and detailed list of their accomplishments, mostly kills, and came to the realization that not only was SHIELD an agency bent on protecting the world from intergalactic threats, they would gladly assassinate any humans they deemed dangerous.

Loki stepped away from the computer and again cloaked himself in invisibility. He had seen more than enough for the time being. SHIELD headquarters had shown him all it could until the reactor was finished, and so he felt he could at last go where he had been longing to go for longer than he was willing to admit.

* * *

Steve awoke to the smell of food, and was up and on his feet quickly to find the source of the amazing aroma. Sigyn stood dressed in a t-shirt and sweats in the kitchen making eggs and sausage, and best of all, coffee. She caught a glimpse of him in his boxers, bandages and nothing else and quickly turned her attention to the eggs she scrambled.

"Good Morning."

"Good Morning," he responded, thankful that Mylo was still asleep as he began to feel the ache in his head. He was beginning to regret getting out of bed so quickly. "I'm going across the hall to get dressed."

"I'll go get you some clothes," she said, holding up his keys "I would have done it by now, but I thought you were still asleep."

"I was, or I should be, my head is killing me." He sat on the couch and held his head in his hands. "Could I get some of that coffee, Doll?"

"Of course."

As she brought it over to him she turned off the stove and moved the pan with the eggs. She crouched on the floor in front of where he sat as she handed him the mug.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Listen, I am going to get your clothes. Breakfast is ready, so eat and take a shower and I'll be back. If Mylo wakes up before I come back, just ignore him."

"Sure thing."

She stepped out into the hall, unlocked Steve's door and walked through his sunny apartment to his bedroom. It wasn't difficult to choose what Steve should wear, he wore the same thing so often it was practically a uniform; a white t-shirt and a pair of khakis. If he was feeling really casual, a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. If he was feeling like looking a little 'snazzy', a button down shirt, with a white t-shirt underneath, and a pair of khakis. She chuckled to herself and grabbed everything she thought he'd need before returning to her apartment.

She heard the shower running and saw that Mylo was awake and needed to go out. She left Steve's things in a neat pile on her bed, grabbed Mylo's leash and her jacket and left to take Mylo for a short walk.

People were out and about, welcoming the warmer weather of the day, clearly ready for spring. Sigyn decided to walk in the opposite direction than she would normally since she did not want to go past the diner or run into any police. Mylo bounded happily down the street, tugging at his collar and nipping at ankles. Sigyn found his frustration with his collar odd but cute, he had never seemed to mind it before. As they walked around the block, the sunny sky began to fill with grey clouds, and so they headed back inside. Steve seemed much better when they returned, the bruises on his face were almost completely healed and he said his headache was gone.

"What about your body?"

"Its not as bad as it was last night…I managed to dress myself without too much pain."

"Good. I'm glad."

He leaned against the doorframe of the bedroom as Sigyn kneeled next to Mylo to remove his leash. Steve placed his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet. Mylo sat on the floor of the kitchen and grumbled, seeming rather annoyed that he was still there. Sigyn patted him gently and told him to be quiet, as she wondered what was on Steve's mind that was making him so nervous. She decided not to ask him, reasoning that he would tell her about it in his own time, as she washed her hands and fixed herself something to drink.

"Uh, so, what are you going to do today Doll? I know you're not working at the diner, so….what are you going to do?"

"Well, I hadn't thought of it, Steve. I suppose I should look for another job."

"Well, you still have the gym."

"Yes, I do. And since Anna won't accept my help anymore I don't really need to work as much as I used to."

"Is everything all right with you two?"

"No. She's upset with me, over you I think. She won't say it, but I believe that's what it is."

"Oh, gee whiz, I'm sorry Doll. I didn't mean to break up your friendship. Although if you ask me that girl is a little bit dingy…not that I mean to speak badly of your friend, but…"

"I understand." She smiled as he blushed; she could tell he still had not quite asked her what he wanted to ask. "Well, actually I do not know what 'dingy' means, but I assume it is not good."

Steve smiled and blushed a little bit more, Sigyn sat at her table and focused on drinking her juice.

"So, uh, well, there's this movie I used to like to see when I was a kid, ya know, right before the war and everything, and I heard their showing it at a theater in times square and all, and I was…I was sort of wondering if maybe you might, um, I mean if you feel up to it, I know you went through a lot last night, and we got to bed pretty late…I mean I kept you up pretty late…I mean, that is we were both up pretty late and we didn't get much sleep. Not that it…I…Anyway, you know… What I mean to say is, if you want we could go see the movie at the same time, if it's not too bold of me to ask, cause I know how you feel about dating and everything, and I don't mean to say that it's a date, but I wanted to go, and if you wanted to go, we could go…together…I think. If you don't mind….."Sigyn looked at him, as he looked at her, looking very flustered and embarrassed. She wondered how he could possibly be nervous when she obviously liked him, or how he could think that she would be able to say no. "Or not. I think we should just forget it. I know how you feel about your husband and I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry Do- Ma- Sigyn. I really am. Just forget it okay. I think I'm gonna go now. Thanks again for everything. I really appreciate it."

He walked out of the apartment so quickly that Sigyn didn't have time to ask him to stay. But as he left she was not worried; she still had his keys, and the door to his apartment was locked. She grinned to herself and did not have to wait long for him to return and ask if she'd seen his keys. She held them up, and snatched them away before he could take them.

"What movie is it?"

She asked, gesturing for him to sit down. He blushed again and looked more mortified now than ever.

"The Wizard of Oz."

"What is it about?"

He forgot his embarrassment for a moment and laughed at her joke, that was until he realized from her quizzical expression that she was not joking.

"Dorothy, The Scarecrow, Toto, The Wicked Witch, The Munchkins, Glinda….Somewhere over the Rainbow…. You don't know what The Wizard of Oz is?"

She raised her eyebrows and looked slightly bewildered.

"Should I?"

Steve looked at her for a moment, his mouth a little agape, but eventually he shook it off, reasoning that maybe the movie and the book had lost their popularity over the years…especially in Louisiana.

"I guess not, anyway, it's great, you'll like it. Little Judy Garland is in it…although I guess you don't know who she is either."

"No, but I'm sure she's wonderful. I like all these obscure little movies you tell me about." She looked him in the eye and suddenly became very serious "I would love to go out with you tonight, Steve. What should I wear?"

* * *

They rode the subway to the heart of the city, Times Square. Night had fallen and all the lights shined down upon them as they made their way through the crowds of people. Sigyn wore a black pencil skirt and a black turtle neck with a pair of heels and her hair flowing down in its usual unruly yet somehow still glamorous way. She never had an occasion to wear a skirt, and wanted to dress up a little for a trip into Times Square. She had been to Times Square once before and saw all the stylish women on the street; she did not intend to be outdone, especially not with Steve on her arm.

They had dinner before the movie, and went out for dessert after. It was after midnight when they made their way home on the subway, with a very excited Sigyn talking about the movie the whole ride home.

"Dorothy is so adorable, and the scarecrow….he reminds me of my old tutor, Hugo. I'm so glad we went to see it."

"How about those songs?"

"They were great too." She said, settling into her seat, taking his arm and placing it over her shoulders as she leaned against him, resting her head on his chest. "To think, this time last night we were fighting for our lives in an alley."

She got quiet all of a sudden and sat up. Steve took her hand.

"Don't think about it anymore. It's over."

"But what about James, I don't even know if he's alive."

"Well, call his wife and ask her how he is. There's no need to worry Sigyn. I can't promise that something like that won't happen again, but I promise I'll be there to protect you. You'll never have to be alone, or afraid."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. The train came to a halt and they got off, noticing the change in the weather from a clear and mild spring night, to a foggy drizzle. They walked home from their subway stop and said goodnight in the hall of their apartment building. Mylo ran around the living room in circles, nipping at Sigyn's feet each time he passed her before sitting by the front door and barking loudly as he could.

"Mylo! Calm down, I'll take you out as soon as I change my shoes."

The dog would not be appeased, barking louder and louder as he scratched at the door. Sigyn slid her feet into a pair of flip flops and wrestled his leash onto his collar before opening the door. The small puppy practically dragged his owner down the stairs, barking impatiently as she stopped to open the doors outside.

He continued the odd practice of scratching at his collar as he pulled Sigyn down the street, through the fog and misty drizzle.

"Mylo, stop it."

She said, tugging a little on his leash in an attempt to get him heel. He was restless and struggling erratically with his collar. He growled out of frustration and continued to bound ahead, quick enough to make Sigyn have to jog a bit to keep up with him. Her attempts to get him to listen were futile, and just as she stooped to pick up her little puppy to soothe him he slipped his collar once and for all and took off into the foggy night.

Sigyn fell forward a bit as she tried to catch him before he got away. She quickly recovered and stood up, trying to run after him before realizing how ridiculously pointless it is to try to run in flip flops, especially flip flops that are wet with rain and foggy mist. She kicked them off in the street and took off in the direction she thought she saw Mylo run. The truth was she could hardly see anything. Everything was covered in gray, she could just make out things around her and the street lights. It was like running through clouds.

"Mylo!" she called out into the night, the streets were empty for the most part, and every now and then she could hear the puppy's familiar bark. "Mylo!"

Her feet pounded against the hard, smooth pavement, and once in a while painfully came down upon a stone. Her eyes looked around frantically, searching the mist for her dog. She followed the sound of his bark, and recognized the sign that read 'Red Hook Memorial Park' as she passed it and entered the park that the dog had always been fond of.

She heard his barks change to satisfied whimpers, and turned around, trying to hear where he was so she would know which direction to go.

"That's a good boy. That is a good boy. I think I hear your Mommy calling you."

Sigyn's eyes narrowed, she moved slowly through the mist which seemed to be lifting slowly, at least in that area of the park; she knew that voice. She knew that voice just as well as she knew her own.

The fog had lifted enough that she could see clearly before her. A man was on bended knee next to Mylo. He wore a black leather jacket and a pair of denim jeans. His head was lowered as he gave attention to the puppy, who nuzzled him and lavished him with affection, but the hand with which he stroked the dog was pale, with long skinny fingers, and the hair on his head was jet black and slicked into a neat little bun at the back of his head. Sigyn did not think she could move, but she was moving, tiptoeing closer and closer to him.

"Its all right now, boy; she found us."

She stopped moving and breathing when he looked up at her, a grin of pure joy upon his face. Her eyes blinked over and over again, and it felt as if all the air in her lungs had suddenly been sucked out. It felt as though she had been kicked in the stomach. She did not know whether to cry or scream, or laugh, whether to run into his arms or run away as quickly as she could. She could not even be sure that what she saw was real.

He stood up and walked towards her, Mylo at his side as he did so. She watched his every move, took in the sight of him in a black t-shirt, the way he walked, looking perfectly uncomfortable in these mortal clothes he wore. He stood before her and took the leash from her hand before fastening it to Mylo. He stood before her again, his green eyes locked on her face as her brown eyes flew back and forth examining his. He smiled again.

"Yes, it is me, Love."

He touched her face, she placed her hand over his and closed her eyes.

"Loki…I think I have finally lost my mind."

She stated matter of factly before her body went limp, giving the prince barely enough time to catch her as she began to fall to the ground.


	27. Chapter 27

The steady chanting of prayer could be heard from inside the house of Logynism. Yordis scowled beneath the cloak she wore to cover herself, unable to hide her displeasure at the fact that Sigyn had managed to become not only a martyr, but a saint of sorts. She walked past the royal guard who had been posted at the doors of the stone, windowless structure, and as she did so they saw nothing. She had indeed grown stronger and more able to perform feats of sorcery in her time as a fugitive; she had her mistress to thank for that.

She entered the house and walked its halls to the stairs that led to the catacombs below, where she knew the priestess of this house would be found, busy at her holy work. Sure enough Hyrna was in one of the small rooms off the main hall of this underground chamber of worship, lighting candles and marveling at an intricate, though unfinished wall painting of the prince and princess.

"They were beautiful. There is no denying that."

The priestess was startled and dropped the candle she held, setting her long emerald robes aflame instantly. Yordis watched with indifference as Hyrna desperately tried to pat out the flames, which spread up the delicate cloth she wore quickly.

"Help me!"

She pleaded, her eyes on Yordis, the only other person there. Yordis raised her eyebrows and the flames went out, leaving Hyrna's dress, fully intact and the burns she felt upon her flesh gone in an instant. She turned a grateful eye to Yordis, who removed her cloak and sat upon a stone bench in the large torch lit hallway.

"One must be extremely careful how one goes about dealing with flames in the course of any work, but especially holy work. We would hate to see anything happen to our dear, dear priestess." She smirked, meeting Hyrna's eyes as she came closer. "Did you honestly think they could get rid of me that easily?"

"The place is surrounded by guards. The Queen has had them stationed here ever since I spoke with her…surely you must have reasoned that she would do so, surely you do not blame me for that?"

"Calm yourself, Hyrna. She could station the entire army here, there, and everywhere and it would not be enough to stop me."

She stood and paced to the opposite wall before turning and pacing back. The Queen had nerve, but she had not the brains to match it.

"Why have you come?"

"Why do you think? I have come to have your answer priestess…or should I say, High Priestess."

"I have no answer for you. I cannot betray the vows that I have made, I cannot betray the realm."

"Will you betray yourself then? Your blood, your family, all to preserve the bloody, muddled, haphazard, ill gotten, betrayal ridden, house of Odin." She circled Hyrna now, who focused her thoughts on the deities she had devoted her life to, and prayed to them for strength and the ability to withstand Yordis' wrath, which would surely follow. "That bitch sat you down and gave you a history lesson of your own family name. Reminding you that Thor is your cousin…as if you needed reminding, as any of us have forgotten the treacherous circumstances under which she became queen." Yordis paused to see if her words were taking any effect on their mark. She saw Hyrna's eyes closed tightly in prayer; her lips moving as she silently mouthed her pleas to her gods. She grabbed her face and forced her to look into her eyes. "Odin did nothing to restore your family after the loss of his beloved Gaea, and Frigga, whore that she is, pounced upon his grief. Had he been in his right mind, he would have made you or another young maiden of your line his queen. She usurped your throne. She is a traitor to this realm, why do you not see that?"

"I do see it. I have seen it. I have always seen it that way….Or I did. Before Sigyn saw into me, and helped me see the truth. The makings of a queen have little to do with bloodlines."

"You are an idiot."

She pushed the woman to the ground, and again sat on the bench in the hall.

"I would like for you to leave this house now." The holy woman said as she struggled to stand up, her leg bleeding from falling against the hard dirt floor. "I have given you my answer. I will not help you in your wicked deeds."

"Wicked? I, Wicked? You insult me Hyrna, I thought you understood my motives. I only seek to avenge the ones I love who have been wronged by those you now worship. My family were blotted out by the sordid actions of the royal family, and those they hold to be dear and esteemed."

"The Princess raised up your family who remain, even after you wronged her she did not punish them, although she would have been within her rights to do so."

"THOSE URCHINS AND THEIR BRAT ARE NO BLOOD OF MINE! MY BLOOD DIED ON THE MOUNTAIN WITH FREYA THE WHORE OF THE REALMS! MY BLOOD CURLED ON THE ROCKS AND HIS FLESH ROTTED AS THEY SCRAPED THE BROKEN BODY OF THE WHORE UP AND CARRIED HER ON A BED OF SATIN AND SILK TO HER GRAVE, A SHRINE OF MARBLE AND GOLD. TELL ME NOT OF MY FAMILY WHO REMAIN: FOR I ASSURE YOU I HAVE NO FAMILY."

Her voice echoed throughout the many halls and chambers of the catacombs. She struggled to regain her breath, before falling to her knees. Tears poured down her face, yet she snatched her shoulder away from the comforting hand that Hyrna placed there.

"Yordis, if you turn yourself in-"

"They will execute me. I will do no such thing. I will have my vengeance, and my rightful position in Asgard. I sought your help because I sensed in you a kindred spirit, a soul who had been wronged similarly by the same people." She stood up, and with a wave of her hand amended her disheveled appearance. "I was not here. If you betray me to the guards, I will slaughter you and every one of your pathetic followers. You will not see me, but I will be watching."

"I pray you will see reason and find another way."

"Then your prayers are thoroughly wasted."

* * *

She opened her eyes and looked around. It was a gray and rainy morning outside her bedroom window. She felt a little drowsy and a bit dizzy as well. It wasn't until she remembered her last moments of consciousness that she sat bolt upright in her bed and threw off the covers. She was in a nightgown, and the apartment was quiet. She looked towards the other side of the bed; it was empty, not even Mylo was there. She realized as she wandered into the living room that Mylo was not in the apartment at all. She began to worry for her dog, and to wonder how much of the night before had been a dream, when the door to the apartment opened and in came the jet black puppy, content at the end of his leash and with him, miraculously, Loki.

Or what appeared to be Loki. For Loki was impossibly tall and so was this man, and Loki's hair was always impeccably well maintained, and so was this man's. Loki had a unique way of moving and a face that was at once angelic and grave,l this man's face, was that face.

Sigyn felt herself begin to lose her balance and quickly backed into the wall. Her eyes were glued to him as he closed and locked the door, got the dog settled and washed his hands in the kitchen. As he dried them he looked across the room and directly into her eyes. She froze in place, her hair falling into her eyes, her nightdress skimming her body, one strap hanging from her shoulder. Despite her disheveled appearance she looked as beautiful as ever, and Loki was thrilled to see that her hair had grown back to a reasonable length.

"Maybe you should lie back down, Love."

He looked at her with concern in his eyes and a smile on his face that was as innocent and sweet as a child's. She shook her head and tried to remember how to speak.

"Who are you? Why are you here? What do you want?"

"Sigyn-"

"How do you know me and why do you look like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like him."

"Like who?"

"Stop It!" She yelled, frustrated with the way he convincingly danced around her questions; it was exactly how Loki would have done it. "You know who, you know exactly who…Who sent you here? I know you're not real."

"How do you know that?"

He said, beginning to walk towards her.

"Stop!" She said, moving back towards the bedroom door, gripping the wall behind her as she did. "Stay over there. Do not come near me."

"Woman, you are acting mad."

He took a few steps back to appease her although the look on her face had softened a bit when she heard him call her 'Woman'. Suddenly Mylo began to bark.

"Shh, Mylo."

"He's hungry," Loki said, as the dog laid down at his feet, "I'll feed him."

He snapped his fingers and a steak appeared on the floor before Mylo, who attacked it at once. Sigyn's heart dropped into her stomach; he had just seamlessly and nonchalantly made a steak appear out thin air. He looked as though he had done nothing out of the ordinary, as though this sort of thing happened all the time.

"Mylo, don't eat that! Come Here!"

The obedient dog let the steak fall from its mouth and began to walk towards her, Loki frowned and sighed.

"Dog, sit."

To Sigyn's surprise the dog immediately stopped in its tracks and sat. She was suddenly annoyed.

"Do not speak to him that way!"

"Why not?"

"Because he is my dog: I will give him orders, not you."

"Woman, I _made_ him therefore I think it is safe to say that he is _my_ dog."

She raised her eyebrows and stood on her own two feet. She was no longer overcome by shock; in fact she was beginning to feel very much like herself again. She resented this ruse, and was determined to know who or what was behind it.

"You _made_ him?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean?"

"I sent him here to keep an eye on you."

"You sent him here? You've known where I was for that long?"

"Yes."

"So you have been here before?"

"Once or twice."

She began to cross the room, without realizing she did so, walking slowly closer to him.

"Who Are You?"

"You know who I am, Sigyn! I am Loki, your Loki, remember?"

She shook her head in disbelief and continued to make her way towards him as she tried to reason with what he seemed to saying and who he was claiming to be.

"That is not possible. My Loki, is dead. I watched him fall, I searched the entire universe for any trace of him, and so I know that he is dead. Tell me who you are and what you want. Fight me, kill me, or simply leave, but do not stand there and pretend to be my husband. You have no idea how cruel or how brutal this is for me, whoever you are, but if you knew you would stop it."

"Love, I am your Loki. What can I do to prove it to you?"

He looked at her with eagerness and sincerity in his eyes. He seemed genuine and he seemed so very much like Loki. Even though he wore jeans and a t-shirt he looked like Loki, he certainly had his eyes and his smile, and there were no eyes and smile comparable to them. She stared at him for a moment, searching his face and her own mind for an answer to his question.

"Tell me what we spoke of during our carriage ride home on our wedding night?"

He smirked and spoke clearly and confidently as he took a step closer to her.

"As if I could ever forget anything about that night…We spoke of the time Freya left us in a dining hall in Asgard City when we were children. I spoke of how brave you were, you said you were only brave because I was there and you knew you were safe if I was there….and then you said that I spoiled you the most out of every one, which was completely true, and then I had to kiss you. I wanted to make love to you in the carriage, but you stopped me because you were afraid the driver or the footman would see.…shall I continue?"

"Why had we gone into the city with Mother?"

"To find a doll for Lofn, like the ones the children here play with."

He did not hesitate at all in his answers, which were perfect and completely unknowable to anyone else in any of the realms. She shook her head, her mouth agape her eyes wide with surprise. She stood just close enough to him now to touch his face, which she did, tentatively. She was certain her fingertips would go through him, for she was now convinced that he was an apparition or a ghost, but they did not; he was actual flesh and bone, as real and solid as she was. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and rubbing his face against her fingers, elated to feel her hand upon his body. She pulled her away, took a step back and spoke before he could.

"How can this be?" She looked into his eyes, her face contorted in bewilderment. "I watched you fall, I searched for your heart, your mind, any part of you….I would have found you Loki, I would have come for you."

"I know Love. I have no doubt, I saw you look for me and I love you for it. It was not your fault; I was changed in the f-"

"You saw?" She interrupted him as she processed his words, before she could stop herself. What she had heard was too unbelievable to be considered without further explanation. "Did you say that you saw me look for you? Have you been watching me? Have you been been _alive_ this whole time?"

"Well, yes and n-"

"So you have seen me cry, and go around in agony, and you just…What? Allowed me to? You were here, without me knowing, you were alive without me knowing?! You let me think you were dead, when you were alive the whole time, when you could have been with me, the whole time? The Whole Time, Loki?"

"Sigyn, it was not that simple."

"Do Not _Lie_."

She stood directly before him and looked up at him with piercing eyes, eyes that burned into him, reading his expression and body language, knowing him. She had not lost her fierceness or her powerful aura in her transformation into a human. Loki felt a little intimidated in spite of himself; he decided not to lie, but was certain she was in no state to hear the entire truth.

"I was trying to protect you, I only stayed away to keep you safe."

The words were barely out of his mouth before her hand collided with his face with enough force to turn his head. He recovered, rage in his eyes, but received a smack to his other cheek before he could speak.

"I Asked You Not To Lie!"

"I'm not lying!"

"Keep Me Safe From What? You Know I Would Have Gladly Faced Any Danger To Know That You Were Safe! The truth is you abandoned me! You left me, in Asgard. You threw yourself off the Bifrost. How Was That Keeping Me Safe?"

He grabbed both of her arms and although it was useless to struggle against him she tried to with all her might, which at the moment was rather considerable.

"I threw myself off the Bifrost? I abandoned you? You have gone mad! I fell farther and longer than I know how to accurately describe, I have had to suffer every moment since I landed, but I assure you, I came back to you as soon as I could!"

"You're a liar! That doesn't make any sense! You are a _god_, if you had _wanted_ to be with me, either here or there, _nothing _could have stopped you from it. Nothing!"

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

"How Could I? You evade my questions, you lie to me."

"I am trying to answer you, Woman. Let me speak!"

"Let GO Of ME!"

"Calm down."

"No I will not calm down. Do You Have ANY Idea What I Have Been Through? Do You Know What I Have Endured Since You Jumped Off The Bifrost? Apparently you do since you made me a _dog…_ and have been watching me from wherever the Hel you were! For gods sake, Man! You are an unbelievable bastard, do you know that?" Loki raised his eyebrows and nodded his head; she let out a frustrated grunt as she thought of how unbelievably strange and bizarre the situation was. "I cannot believe you, I Actually MOURNED You, You Bastard!" She declared through gritted teeth as she punched him in the chest as best she could with him holding her arms. He held her arms tightly and pulled her closer to him, so close their entire bodies touched and she had to look up to see into his eyes. "Why did you come here? Why now am I suddenly out of this danger you were so _desperate_ to keep me from?"

"I saw what was happening with you and that,_ human,_ so I decided to risk everything and come before I lost you forever."

He realized immediately that was the wrong thing to say. Sigyn's eyes became livid; her body shook a little as she snatched her arms away from his grasp.

"You came back because you were jealous?"

"I came back because you were sleeping with a human and making me look like an imbecile!"

"What The Hel Are You Talking About?!"

"You know damned well what I'm talking about, Woman. Do not play coy; _I saw you_."

"I NEVER slept with _ANYONE_ else! I Would Never Sleep With Anyone Else!"

"So I thought, but I also thought you would never kiss anyone else, or go to bed with anyone else, but then I watched you do _both_ of those things, so forgive me; if I am skeptical, it is only because I tend to believe what I see with my own eyes."

She stood there quietly for a moment as she remembered what happened with Steve at the inn. They maintained a constant and intense lock on each other's eyes, neither one willing to give in the least, or consider the explanations of the other.

"Well, you did not watch closely enough, otherwise you would have seen that nothing happened. You would have seen that grief and guilt kept me from it… I never even thought of-"

"Spare me, Sigyn. 'Grief and guilt'. If your grief was so strong, why were frolicking about in the snow with a mortal?"

"I was not _frolicking_ –"

"And," Loki continued as though she had not spoken "what did you have to feel guilty about? No, _if_ there is any truth to what you say, then it is only a matter of my good timing. You may not have betrayed me with your body, _yet_, but your heart and, I would wager your mind, are another story."

"I Thought You Were DEAD!" She was beside herself at this point; she felt like her body was on fire and she knew if she did not calm down she was going to physically harm her beloved husband. She breathed deeply, sighed and spoke in a normal tone, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "If that is what you think and you are so sure of what you saw, then why are you here? Why did you bother to come here at all?"

"I wanted to stop you before you went too far."

"You thought you needed to stop me before I went too far, as if I were some bored, unpredictable, unfaithful _whore_, unable to control herself or her urges, instead of your oldest friend and your wife."

"Considering who your mother was…Considering who your sister is…It is not a huge leap to think that you could behave that way."

He spewed the venom before he could stop himself, and immediately regretted the words. This exchange was the opposite of what he had hoped for. He opened his mouth to apologize to Sigyn, who hung her head and, much to his surprise, let out a slow and stilted laugh before speaking.

"Oh, well that is rich! Yes, I wonder what personality traits you inherited from _your_ mother…unfortunately neither one of us have any idea who – or what- she is."

She raised her head and looked at his face; she didn't miss a beat or falter at his words, she simply took them in and responded with a profound and insightful insult of her own. She had always been capable of matching him in wit, but as he looked at her indifferent expression, he thought that perhaps she had become a little crueler than she used to be.

"How callous of you; I suppose your life on Midgard has robbed you of your grace."

She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"If it has, you are to blame, but fret not; I haven't much need of it here."

They stood in silence for a moment. As he placed his hands over his exasperated face she watched him and thought about the fact that she was actually glad that he was there. She was more than glad, she was delighted, elated, overjoyed. Even as he stood there berating her, even as she stood there consumed with rage, she could not deny how incredible it was to see him or how amazing it felt to be near him. She continued to stare at him through narrowed eyes and said the words that were the opposite of what she really felt.

"I never betrayed you; I do not care what you believe. Why you think you can just stroll in here after abandoning me is beyond me and, honestly, I am not inclined to hear anything else you have to say...Leave."

He had expected her to be angry, to yell, to cry, and to be her usual fiery and vehement self. He had also expected her to hug him, and kiss him, and ask him what had happened and where he had been. He expected her to let him explain himself; he expected her to care enough to listen to his harrowing tale of survival and his desperation in spite of it all to get back to her. He wanted to tell her these things, to hold her in his arms and most of all to have her comfort him. He was loathe to admit, especially now, that he needed her to reassure him that he was really all right; safe and secure and alive. He knew in the instant that she looked into his eyes in the foggy moonlight the night before that he had not truly come back to life until that very moment, when he was looking at her and she was looking back at him. Now he was too indignant to say any of these things, and worst of all he was all together sure that her fondness for the human was far greater than what he had suspected and he was convinced it played a part in her refusal to hear his explanations.

"Fine."

He moved as though he intended to make himself disappear, Sigyn rushed into his arms in spite of herself and her words. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed as she threw her arms around his body. He was stunned, but could not resist placing a gentle hand on her head and the other at the small of her back. She raised her head and looked up at him. Tears were running slowly down her face and although she was no longer frantic, her sobs from before had made her breathing become erratic and her bottom lip shook as she spoke.

"Please...I'm sorry. Don't Go!" He kissed her lips softly as she continued to speak. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head in dismay at her behavior as she continued "I don't know why I said those things. Of course I care if you believe that was I was unfaithful to you, I love you! I didn't mean any of it. I am so sorry."

"I know, Sigyn. It's all right."

"No, it is not all right. I was horrible to you…And you don't know…" she continued to ramble through her tears and his kisses, resting her hands on his chest and clutching his shirt. "I was alone and you were dead, but I needed you, Loki; _You_, nobody else. How could there ever be anyone else? And you were nowhere, and I was so alone. You have no idea. There is so much that you do not know."

"It kills me to think of how badly you have been hurt by all of this." He pulled away from her and held her confused, tear streaked, beautiful face in his hands. "I will not leave you like that again. I promise."

"Do not promise, my Loki, it is not in your nature to keep a promise."

She smiled sweetly at him, despite the fact that she was still crying, suddenly looking very much like the innocent and bright eyed girl he had always known. He enveloped her in his arms and kissed her much more deeply and passionately than before. She was unsure if it was their absence from each other or the fact that she was now a mortal kissing a god, but she knew this was unlike anything she had felt before. He lifted her into the air and held her legs around his waist as he carried her through the apartment. They were passionate, their touch and their kisses slow and intimate rather than clumsy or feverish. These were two beings who knew each other better than any others, and who had been away from each other for much longer than either one of them could stand. Their familiarity and the fact that they belonged to each other meant that they did not need to rush, while their love, affection and desire for one another dictated that they could not wait another moment to be together.

He carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. She sat up in front of him and lifted up his shirt which he quickly took it off, letting it fall to the floor. She kissed his stomach as she unbuttoned his jeans; he laid her back down and crawled atop her before she could pull them off. As he kissed her again, slowly enticing her with his lips and tongue, she ran her hands down the smooth skin of his body until they reached his pants. She bit his bottom lip gently and squeezed his butt. He laughed.

"I suppose you missed me after all, didn't you?"

She smiled and nodded. He kissed her again, moving from her lips to her neck and shoulders, using his teeth to move the straps of her nightgown out of his way. As he lifted her dress higher up her thighs, she used her legs and feet to finish taking off his pants. Nothing was between them now except the thin fabric of his boxers. She was impressed at how far he had gone to look like a human and wished he were still standing up so she could see what he looked like in the underwear; they did not have boxers on Asgard.

She forgot her wish quickly as she felt him bring his hips closer to hers and push her legs open wider to let him. He pressed against her hips a little more forcefully than he meant to.

"That hurts."

She stated, frowning at him and turning away from his kiss.

"I'm sorry. I suppose you are not as strong as you used to be."

"No, I'm not." She made herself look as innocent and helpless as she could as she looked up at him. She knew she could still manipulate his emotions, even if she could not read them anymore. "You have to be cautious with me, now that I'm human. You could break me, my Loki; you could even _kill_ me if you are not careful…"

"Are you trying to scare me?"

"No, of course not; I think I just mean to say that I am at your mercy, Loki, God of Mischief."

He grinned as he buried his face in her neck and groaned a deep and animalistic groan of desire. The way she teased him was insufferable. Even the giggle she let out at his reaction to her words drove him crazy. He was amazed that she could still be so alluring and captivating considering the fact that she was now just a human.

She ran her fingers lovingly through his hair as he continued to nuzzle her neck, then suddenly he sat up pulling her up with him. She looked a little surprised as he moved with her in his arms towards the head of the bed and laid back into the pillows, kissing her and pulling her down with him as he went. She was completely overwhelmed with joy as she sat straddling him, her hands wandering down his body, her mind still unable to fully believe that what was happening was actually happening, and that he was there. She grinned to herself as she decided to find out for certain whether this was real or not.

"Ow!"

He looked a little hurt that she had pinched him so hard; she kissed his chest. She was sorry, but now thoroughly convinced that he was existent; she wasn't dreaming, she wasn't crazy, and she was not imagining things. His hands _were_ on her body, pressing into her skin through the silky fabric of her nightgown. His lips and his tongue _were_ tenderly against and intertwined with hers and as she finally removed his boxers and guided him inside of her she immediately felt like she could breathe and relax. As she moved her hips back and forth, up and down, rhythmically in a wave like motion she pulled away from his kiss and looked down on him, watching his face. She had always been concerned with pleasing him, in the back of her mind now was the thought that as a mortal she had lost the ability to.

It didn't take long for her to realize that was absurd. He lay beneath her, moaning quietly, trying and failing to keep his composure as she had her way with him. She would have laughed if she had not been so caught up herself. He held onto her waist, she lowered her face to his and kissed him softly, reaching for the metal scroll like bars of the headboard to steady herself as she began to move her body more slowly and intensely against his.

He was in awe of her, and was glad to see that her eyes were closed so she, at least for the moment, could not see what she was doing to him or what she had reduced him to. He knew from the moment that he entered her that his worst fears were completely unwarranted; she had not been with anyone else. She was still perfect and still perfectly his. He felt her body tighten around him, and heard her lose her breath. As she began to shake he rolled her over onto her back and pulled completely away from her before entering her again, this time of his own accord and very cautiously. She bit her lip and arched her back, pressing her thighs against him as he went as deeply inside of her as he could. He finally heard what he had been waiting for; the breathless way she called his name when she was beneath him and he was satisfying her.

He looked into her eyes and smiled at her. She lowered her eye lids as he moved deeper. His thrusts became stronger, she could tell that he was trying desperately to be careful with her, even more so than he had always done. Her body shook almost constantly as he continued to make love to her. Finally he rested his forehead against hers and let out a deep sigh; his movement stopped and his body relaxed. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on her shoulder. She put one arm around his back and the hand of the other in his hair. She tugged on it gently and kissed his forehead. He was quiet as he tried to catch his breath. She was surprised by how tightly he held on to her; he clung to her body.

"I think you missed me too." He nodded, even as he pulled his arms tighter around her. "I love you."

She kissed his forehead again and he sighed. It had been a very long time since he had felt contentment and complete happiness, he did not want to move or speak. All he wanted was to stay in her arms; her arms were the safest place in the universe, even if they were just mortal arms now. She shifted herself to her side and rolled him onto his back, as she sat up a little to be face to face with him. His eyes were closed as though he were trying to sleep. She took the opportunity to look at his face.

He was still beautiful. His face was still perfect, and handsome, but it had changed since the last time she saw him. It was thinner, and more distinguished; he looked a little older. He had been a young prince with her on Asgard, a young man. Somewhere in the time since then he had become simply a man. She ran a curious finger along his jaw line, then down the bridge of his nose. Loki smiled and opened his eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"You are so undeniably gorgeous, I could not help it."

"Gorgeous?"

"Beautiful, really; stunning."

"Well I always thought so, but it is nice to hear someone else say it."

She smiled as he closed his eyes again. She noticed the end of a scar just behind his ear and moved to touch it. He grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Leave that."

"What is it?"

"A rather unfortunate reminder of my limitations."

"What?"

"It is nothing for you to worry about."

She linked her fingers with his and he kissed her hand. His eyes were open now, and in them she saw that he wanted to tell her something, but also that he wanted her to ask him about it.

"What happened to you?"

"I fell."

"And then what?"

"I stopped."

"Where?"

He grinned at her patience. No one else regarded his subterfuge with such patience or was so game to try to figure him out.

"On Chitauri, Love."

"Chitauri…how obscure." He nodded and shrugged. "And what have you been doing on Chitauri, besides spying on me of course?"

"I have been trying to find a way back to you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Beyond that, I cannot say."

"Why?"

"I need to be at my best to explain it to you…right now I'm undone."

She grinned at him as he kissed her fingers.

"Later then. Why could I not find you before I left Asgard?"

"I have no idea."

"You're lying."

"Not completely. I have an idea of the reason why, but I don't want to scare you."

"Well now I am scared."

"Don't be. I'm fine."

"Then tell me."

"I will. Tomorrow, I will tell you everything you need to know. I promise. Today I just want to be with you."

"Fine…So, were you unfaithful to me?"

"Unequivocally, unbelievably, and frequently."

"LOKI!"

She said, shocked and furious. He laughed as she poked and pinched every part of him that she could reach.

"Stop being ridiculous; of course not. I was nowhere near a being that I found remotely attractive, let alone more tempting than you."

"Nonsense. What about the Chitaurian women?"

She looked at him like she knew he could come up with no way to explain himself, she was surprised to see him laugh even harder.

"Clearly you have never _seen_ a Chitaurian woman." She looked un-amused and pouted, looking down at his chest. He tried to compose himself and look serious. "Besides, you know, you are the only woman in the universe who knows how to please the God of Mischief." She looked back up at him and smiled. "Kiss me."

She leaned down and kissed him just as passionately as he had kissed her, possibly even more so. She placed a hand behind his head and one around his shoulders, he moaned and tried to suppress a smile. He loved it when she took control of him. He loved the way it made him feel to know that he could cause his chaste and righteous wife to give in to pure lust. He ran his hands to her perfect bottom against the silk fabric of her nightgown. He was disturbed when she suddenly broke the kiss, and looked over her shoulder. He had not been annoyed with the dog until that moment, but apparently it wanted something and would not stop barking until it got it. Sigyn slid her arms from around him, sat up and threw her legs off the side of the bed, adjusting her now wrinkled nightgown and pulling its straps back up onto her shoulders. Loki turned onto his stomach, completely naked and unashamed, and watched her. He reached for her hand just as a break in Mylo's barking allowed them to hear the knock at the front door. Loki smirked.

"Who could that be?"

He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Sigyn turned to him and scowled. She stood up although her legs were not quite steady, and staggered to her closet to grab the robe that matched her nightgown. She then sat at her vanity and quickly pulled her hair into a messy little bun before heading out of the bedroom.

"Are you going to the door wearing _that?" _

He asked as she closed the bedroom door behind her and made her way across the apartment. As she unlocked the front door and looked out into the hall she saw that Steve had crossed back to his door and was just about to go in it.

"Wait, I'm here, what do you need?"

He turned to her; she smiled at him, looking like she had the most amazing secret to tell him and was just going to let him speak first to be polite.

"I didn't need anything; Anna said she came looking for you earlier this morning and that you didn't answer, so I just wanted to check on you."

"Oh, that's a surprise, considering she hardly speaks to me anymore. I guess I didn't hear her knock, I was a little busy." She didn't know how to put into words what happened, but she desperately wanted to tell Steve; she was giddy about it and knew that once she explained, he would be happy for her. "Steve, something amazing happened last night,"

His eyes lit up a little and he looked into her face with a small smile on his. She tried not to be impressed by the fact that she was half dressed and yet he looked directly in her eyes, or to notice how adorable his smile was. That smile quickly faded away as a man with a bed sheet tied around his waist came from inside the apartment and stood behind Sigyn. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the neck.

"There you are; what is taking you so long out here?"

She smiled and wriggled away from his embrace, considering that it was probably difficult and painfully awkward for Steve to watch. Loki looked across the hall at him and grinned. Sigyn saw the confused look on Steve's face, and spoke quickly.

"Steve, this is Lucas, my husband." His confusion deepened, Sigyn continued. "Apparently he survived the bombing! He didn't die after all."

"Not for lack of trying. Put her there." Loki joked, extending his hand as he had seen Selvig do many times. "Sigyn has not stopped talking about you; you must have really done something to impress her."

Steve shook his hand, as Sigyn looked up at Loki with an awestruck gaze. He was talking and behaving like a normal, well adjusted human being, and he was absolutely convincing. He was being pleasant to Steve even though she knew he was furious that she had kissed him and terribly jealous that they were so close. Steve was too taken aback by the developments to notice her surprise. She slowly recovered from her shock and turned her eyes back to Steve.

"Lucky, came back last night. That's what I was trying to tell you."

Her eyes connected with his, she saw him try to smile past the flash of disappointment in them. She saw his desire to be happy for her; he knew how much she loved her husband and how much she had missed him. What he did not know was how much she cared for him and how she hoped they could still be friends.

"That's wonderful news, Doll. I'm sorry, I mean Sigyn."

Loki's grip on her body tightened as he heard Steve refer to his wife with such affection and familiarity, but he was able to hide his displeasure in the rest of his body.

"It sure is, man. Especially for me; not only am I alive, but I get to come home to the absolute love of my life. I spent my nights away from her lost and in agony, desperate to find my way back here. I knew I'd be all right as soon as I found her, the thought of it is what kept me going… but I know I don't have to tell you what a Woman she is." Loki slapped her on the bottom and she jumped, turning an irate eye towards him as he slid his hand back around her waist and laughed. "I'm not completely out of the woods yet, though. She could do me in at any moment if you know what I mean."

"Do not tempt me."

She said, looking up at him and speaking through gritted teeth. He touched his nose to hers and sneered.

"It would be a beautiful death, Love…although I suppose that is a rather poor choice of words, isn't it. Forgive me darling. When I think of how they convinced you to give up hope…how you agonized over my death…."

He pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss and held her body firmly against his. She managed to push him away as Steve backed towards his door, looking embarrassed.

"Well, I won't take up anymore of your time." He spoke quickly and avoided Sigyn's eyes. Suddenly he looked with sincerity upon Loki. "Welcome home Soldier."

Loki did his best to look grateful, although inside he was laughing.

"Oh, thank you very much. I really do appreciate that."

Steve said goodbye and closed his door before Sigyn could ask him to wait. She pulled away from Loki and pushed him into her apartment, closing and locking the door behind her.

"He did not deserve that. He has been so kind to me, almost from the moment I arrived here. You are officially the worst."

"What did I do?"

He asked, a devious grin on his face. He looked completely pleased with himself. She frowned and shook her head.

"I see you have not matured at all in your time away."

"I have, but did you honestly think I could resist the chance to meet my competition? Frankly, I thought I was being nice…I could have treated him like I used to treat Theoric."

"If you hurt him Loki, in any way, I will never forgive you. I care for him very much, so it will not be like it was with Theoric, not at all."

Loki scoffed, but nodded his understanding in favor of avoiding another argument. He scooped her into his arms and kissed her. She pulled away, pretending to still be mad.

"I should have pulled that sheet off of you when you spanked me."

"I think your beau would have been more embarrassed by that than I would have…besides, you like to be spanked."

"I most certainly do not!"

He carried her back to the bed. He sat her down, removed her robe and pushed her back into the pillows. He placed a hand at her throat, holding her down and taking care not to choke her. With his other hand he broke the thin spaghetti straps of her nightgown and roughly pulled it down, finally taking it off.

He took a moment to look at her body. Her shape was a perfect hourglass, her full breasts sat just above her waist which tapered in perfectly before flowing out into the curve of her hips. She was voluptuous and statuesque, soft and sensuous. Her skin was smooth and that exotic shade gave her figure a delicious characteristic, like she would taste like caramel, or brown sugar, or honey, or cinnamon or some other sweet spice. He rested his free hand on that perfect waist and held her body firmly against the bed.

He had decided that he was going to ravish her in every sense of the word. He was going to control her, dominate her, and pleasure her body so completely that she would never, ever, allow another man to rob her of her affection for him. It was wholly unacceptable that she cared at all for this human; Loki intended to remind her of the fact that she was his and his only, which meant that her affection in that respect was reserved for him and him only.

Her eyes widened in shock at the force and strength with which he plunged inside of her. He hovered above her, raised up on his arms, forcing her back down to the bed and pinning her there by the throat when she attempted to sit up and kiss him. His thrusts were powerful and painful, but the pain was completely overshadowed by the intense delight in her body at his every move. The metal headboard made a steady beat against the wall behind it, and Sigyn gripped the sheets of the bed beside her. Loki pried her fingers off of it and pinned her hands against her stomach. He held both of her wrists in one of his hands and pushed her arched back forcefully back to the bed with his body. She hated herself for the squeal she let out, involuntarily. He watched her in amusement: it was obvious that she was trying desperately not to, but he felt the muscles between her legs tighten as she came. She laid her head back and trembled beneath him. He focused his attention on her neck, moving his hand out of the way and placing his mouth there, biting and sucking vigorously upon it, inflicting her with just the right amount of pain. She struggled against him. She did not want to like what he was doing to her. She made a useless attempt to push him away, to pull her body away from his. He pinned her hips to the bed with one hand and forced her hands above her head with the other. He looked into her eyes with a devilish grin upon his face; her eyes looked absolutely furious in spite of the fact that she was completely helpless. His movement had not gotten any less relentless and although it was obvious that she deeply resented the way he was treating her, her body was clearly enjoying it. She whimpered and closed her eyes as she came again; Loki laughed a little at the look on her face; it was a mixture of bliss and loathing.

She recovered as much as she could although she continued to shiver beneath him. He pushed one of her legs against the bed and went deeper inside of her. She bit her lip and turned her face towards the pillow to suppress a scream. He grabbed her jaw, turned her head and forced her to look at him.

"Don't Fight It."

He demanded. She nipped at his fingers as he ran them across her elegant mouth. She made the mistake of raising her hips to meet one of his thrusts. He pinned them down again, more firmly than before, and squeezed her face. He was taunting her now and he could tell, as she turned her head to and fro in an attempt to shake his hand away, that she did not like it.

"Stop!" She said, pausing to recover in between his thrusts as he looked down on her with a wicked grin. "Stop Treating Me Like A Whore!"

His resolve softened a bit at the words. He leaned over and spoke lovingly into her ear.

"I could never treat you like a whore." He slowed his movements to a torturous pace, he barely moved at all but when he did it was exhilarating. She laid her face against his as he continued, relieved that he had let up a bit. "I had my fair share and my fill of them before I had you. You are nothing like them." He sat up and looked her eye to eye as he continued. "You are unlike any other woman I have ever known. I have never touched a woman the way I touch you, or wanted a woman the way I want you, or been so preoccupied with satisfying a woman as I am with satisfying you. Do you know why?" She shook her head, no. "Because you belong to me; you are mine Sigyn. I want to possess all of you, body and soul, because you possess me that way, whether you know it or not. Yet, you have been running around Midgard, in the arms of another man _and_ allowing yourself to care for this man. It is intolerable Love. It not only vexes me, it wounds me. So I intend to have you now, and punish you a bit for those wounds, until you are so completely convinced of and satisfied with my possession of you that I never have to worry that you will look at or long for another man. I am not treating you like a whore, for you are just the opposite; an innocent little minx: pure and virtuous, unaware of how seductive you are and what you do to men without lifting a finger."

Before she could kiss him he turned onto his back and pinned her arms behind her forcing her to sit up straight on his lap. He thrust himself forward and upward into her as he held her hips down against his, raising her up off the bed a little with each movement. She leaned forward, holding on to the sides of his abdomen. The tightness of her body coupled with the way she called his name was almost too much for him

She sighed and shuddered as he sat up and pushed her down onto the bed again. He held her hips up against him; they hung in the air as he kneeled before her. She braced herself by clutching the edge of the mattress at the foot of the bed. He grabbed one of her hands and raised it to his mouth, playfully biting her index and middle finger as he continued to thrust. Her muscles were constantly tensed around him, Loki knew it would not be much longer until he succumbed. He listened to one last breathless moan and the sweet sound of his name escaping her lips before he finished. He let her body slide back down to the bed. She grabbed a throw blanket and covered herself.

He laid on his side next to her, propping his head up with his hand. She looked over at him, a sheepish expression on her face. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, then her earlobe, then the space where her neck and her jaw connected. She was very still and as he tenderly kissed her lips, Sigyn was simply relieved that he was being nice again. He had been terrifying and rough with her, and the most terrifying part was that she liked it. As she laid quietly next to him on the bed she hardly dared to admit it, but she had been intrigued from the moment he pushed her back and held her down by her throat. It was exciting, thrilling, and she felt raw and numb at the same time. She could feel her body pulsating, there was soreness and aches in her hips and thighs and back. Her legs felt weightless, her arms, from her shoulders to her hands, burned and tingled like she had been doing heavy lifting. She was certain there were bruises and marks on her wrists and her neck, and probably her waist and hips. Overall there was a feeling of ecstasy that tingled like electricity throughout her body and hung over her. She sincerely hoped Loki did not notice it.

He reluctantly pulled his mouth away from hers and looked into her face. She looked like she had on their wedding night, a little afraid, a little confused, a little excited. He was almost sorry for being so rough with her. Almost. If he was completely honest with himself it was nice to see his fiery and strong willed wife helpless for a change. She was quiet, and she found it difficult to meet his eyes, he again grabbed her chin, raised her face and forced her to look at him.

"Do not be ashamed. I love you."

"Am I allowed to speak?" Loki smiled and nodded. "Well, I don't know what to say."

She pushed his hand away and frowned.

"I'm sorry." She rolled her eyes. "You're right, I'm not sorry. But I love you. I did not hurt you…did I?"

"You _embarrassed _me."

"We're Alone!"

"That does not matter, you were so…mean to me." She tried to suppress a smile, hoping he did not notice it. "I suppose you are always mean to others to a certain extent, but never to me."

"I'm not mean; I'm cunning and assertive."

She looked into his face and continued to pout, turning away as he tried to kiss her. He no longer regretted his actions in the least and somewhat wished he had been a bit rougher with her. She was so defiant, so child like in her resentment and the way she pouted. He was immediately aroused by her innocence, and decided the best way to apologize would be to make it up to her.

He placed a gentle kiss upon her lips before she could turn away again. He pulled the blanket away and kissed her from her lips to her belly button, before she turned over. She was still too modest to be completely naked in front of him for very long. He sat up on the bed and kissed her from the small of her back to the base of neck. She laid her face against the mattress, a content smile on her face as she felt his lips against her skin. His kisses were soft and warm. He turned her over again, laying on top of her and covering her body with his. She looked up at him, unable to mask the nervous expression on her face. He kissed her again, both hands on either side of her face as she placed her hands on his lower back, where she could help guide his efforts as he filled her yet again.

It was much later, when their bodies were simply unable to go on, that they tore themselves apart. Sigyn lay wrapped in the sheets at the foot of the bed, Loki laid at her side, his head at the other end of the bed, resting in the pillows, his eyes on the ceiling, smiling in spite of the fact that he was completely and exquisitely exhausted. Sigyn had given up on breathing normally, and was content to lay there breathless until her body recovered or she died. At the moment she was too preoccupied with her bliss to really care.

"Come here."

Loki said, quietly.

"No! Absolutely not…"

He laughed and gently pulled her across the bed by her ankle. He kissed her foot and she rested it on his chest. Her stomach growled loudly, Loki looked concerned as she laughed.

"What does that mean?"

"I have to eat something…but I don't think I can move." She shrugged her shoulders. "I can starve. It doesn't really matter."

"Nonsense."

A silver tray of food appeared on the nightstand next to him. He lifted it up and took the cover off of it. Sigyn smelled the beef, the potatoes, the vegetables, but could not find the strength to sit up and eat it. Loki smiled at her and sat the tray on the bed as he stood, tied the thin blanket around himself, and sat at the foot of the bed next to where her head was. He took the plate off the tray and proceeded to feed his wife from it. She was immensely grateful to him.

"I had forgotten what it was like to have magic in my life."

"Why would you ever want to come and live on _Midgard_? And what would possess you to leave your powers behind?"

She sat up slowly, holding the sheet over her body as she did and looking him straight in the eye.

"I could not live in Asgard without you; this was the one place I knew I could go and not be constantly reminded of you. I wanted to be mortal, and I could not die if I kept my powers."

"You wanted to die?"

He asked, looking surprised and very sad at the thought of it. She took his face in her hands.

"I wanted to see you again, and if dying was the only way that I could do that, then I would have to die."

He kissed the palm of her hand and sent the food and the tray away. He kissed her and laid her back on the bed, she quickly pulled away from him and rolled out of his reach. He laid back on the pillows with an undeterred look on his face, his appetite and his stamina had returned already. She sat up and looked at him. His body looked better than it ever had. He had muscles now that he had not had before. He used to just be lean and lithe, but now he was toned and defined. There were lines and cuts in his arms chest and stomach that were beautiful and new, and despite the fact that she was tired and aching from what they had spent the day doing, she wanted to run her hands and tongue across every part of that torso.

"If you want me, have me, Woman."

He stated as she realized that she had been lost in staring at his body. She blushed and turned away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her over to him. She rested her head on his chest and traced his stomach, resting her hand on his navel. Upon a closer look she saw the scars on his body, some she recognized for they had always been there, and some that were new. She rose up and sat straddling his lap.

"Will you tell me about these scars?"

"Tomorrow, Woman, as I promised."

"I know…but why wait?"

"We have had enough excitement for the day. I just want to be with you for a while longer in happiness, before I have to relive my time away from you in despair…I know you have things you wish to tell me as well, right?"

She nodded, her mind immediately flying to their child. Her memory of the tiny body with the black hair and perfect skin was vivid, despite the fact that she rarely allowed herself to think of it. She had never had reason to consider the idea of explaining to Loki what had happened to their baby, the child he so desperately wanted. Now she had no choice but to enlighten him, but no idea how to do that. She could now understand exactly why he wanted to wait, these things would be much easier to discuss once they spent a night resting in each other's arms.

Loki fell asleep soon after that, but Sigyn's mind was racing too far and too fast to close her eyes despite the fact that she was exhausted. She ran herself a bath and sunk her aching body into it. The thought of the baby and how to break the news of it to Loki had made her realize it was a problem at the top of a long list. She was a mortal, which meant there was no going back to Asgard, and worse, that she would age and die, while Loki would not. She found it difficult to believe that Loki could spend any lengthy amount of time on Earth, his contempt for the Midgardians and their primitive way of life was obvious to say the least. And, she mused as she washed her body in the hot water and breathed in her floral fragrance, if she could somehow go back to Asgard, she was not certain that she wanted to after all that had happened. She missed Thor and a few others, but her anger with Odin had not subsided; not in the least, and once Loki knew of what happened to the baby, there was a very real possibility that there would be no Asgard to return to.

She laid her head against the porcelain of the tub and sighed. It was impossible to know what to do; what she should say was at odds with what she wanted to hide, which was at odds with what she was afraid of, which was at odds with what she hoped for. She had no idea what to expect, and this was all without knowing what had happened to Loki. She knew nothing of Chitauri, but the scars, especially the one behind his ear, troubled her; he had been hurt many times since his fall. She feared, however, that she held the key to hurting him worst of all.

It was the late afternoon when she climbed out of the tub and dried herself off. She looked in the mirror above her sink and noticed the red love bites and purple bruises on her neck. She also had them on her stomach and her hips. Thankfully she no longer felt as sore as she had, and could walk normally. She got dressed in tights and an oversized sweater and looked over her shoulder to see that Loki was still sleeping. She took Mylo out for a quick walk, her mind still full of worries, and as she climbed the stairs back to her apartment her eyes lingered for a moment on Steve's door. She crossed the hall to let Mylo into her place, then stood at Steve's door and knocked gingerly upon it.

"Who is it?"

He asked, she smiled at the sound of his voice.

"It's me."

He opened the door slowly, with a quizzical expression on his face. He had not expected her to come over, especially not that day.

"Sigyn?"

He asked, looking behind her as he opened the door wider and hoping she was alone.

"Can I come in?"

He moved out of the way and let her walk past him. She took a seat on the couch as he closed the door. A book laid open on the seat next to her; War and Peace. She lifted it up, placed her finger where he'd left off and turned to the first page. She liked the story, the pomp and circumstance of the party the chapter described reminded her of the social engagements in Asgard. Steve sat quietly at the other end of the couch, waiting for her to speak and wondering why she had come. She finished the chapter a few minutes later and laid the book down just as she found it. She sighed and looked over at her friend. They had been in much more intimate moments than this and yet they had never felt so awkward together.

"Is everything all right, Sigyn?"

"Oh, yes. Of course…I got my Lucky back. I'm overjoyed."

She smiled and looked away from Steve, who she knew was not convinced. She sounded inauthentic, and worried. She placed her arm across the back of the couch and leaned her head against it. He continued to sit and look at her, and wait for her to be honest.

"I'm glad he came back. It's a miracle."

"It certainly is."

"How did he survive the explosion?"

"He hasn't told me yet….he wants to wait until tomorrow to talk about it."

"That's understandable. He doesn't want to ruin his first day back."

Sigyn was surprised that Steve could understand Loki's reasoning, when on the surface they were the exact opposite of one another in every way. She wondered and hoped for the first time if they could become friends. She caught a glimpse of his cuts and bruises, which had not healed as completely as he had thought they would. She moved closer to him and placed her hands gently on his face. He grabbed her wrists, but couldn't bear to push her away.

"What's wrong? Why have you not healed yet?"

"I don't feel anything, and the cuts are not as bad as they look. The serum isn't magic, Doll, it takes time."

She smiled as he prepared to apologize for calling her by his nickname for her. She placed a finger over his lips to stop him.

"Don't be sorry. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Of course we are."

"Then you have every right to call me 'Doll'. Lucky won't mind and if he does, too bad." She glanced at his face again, then down towards the rest of his body where she knew more wounds were beneath the fabric of his t-shirt. "Steve, are you sure you're not badly hurt? Would you tell me if you thought you were?"

"I would, but I'm okay. I swear. I don't want you worrying about me, when you should be with your husband. Sigyn, he came back from the dead."

"So did you,"

"But I was never anyone's husband; no one was waiting for me when I got back."

"You should have been someone's husband. You would make a wonderful husband…it isn't too late Steve."

"No, of course not and if I can bring myself to have a normal conversation with a woman, it might actually happen someday."

"You have normal conversations with me all the time."

"You wouldn't have it any other way; I didn't really have a choice."

Sigyn laughed and stood up.

"I should probably go check on him, he's probably awake now." She hesitated, before turning to Steve. She looked afraid. "Steve, if you were him, and I had something to tell you, that was really important, but that would hurt you very badly and was regarding a subject that was already very sensitive for you, would you want me to tell you?"

"Of course I would."

"But what about the pain it would cause you."

"It would hurt me more for you to lie to me, or hide it from me. Did you do something wrong?"

"No, I don't think so. I just didn't get a chance to tell him before he died…and now he's not dead."

"Well, I would want to know. I would appreciate being told, and whatever consequences came as a result, I wouldn't blame you for them."

She nodded her head as she turned to leave, before turning back around and kissing him on his forehead.

"If you need me, I will come, no matter what."

"Same here Doll."

She smiled and walked out. Steve sighed, tried to read for a while, but found himself unable to concentrate. He changed into workout clothes and headed for the gym.

Loki woke up to darkness in the apartment, Sigyn lay sleeping beside him. He breathed deeply and inhaled the intoxicating aroma of her floral oils. She was so perfect. He was relieved to be there, Sigyn was his security. He suddenly began to wonder why he had agreed to help The Other, why he had not come to her as soon as he got back on his feet.

Yes, The Other had provided him with the technology to travel between worlds effortlessly, but Loki believed he could have found a way back without that. He turned onto his back and stared at the ceiling, shadows danced across it as cars rolled by on the street outside. Loki watched them as he sighed; he had to acknowledge the truth behind his delay. He wanted to help The Other in exchange for the opportunity to rule the Earth. His father had promised him that he would be a king. He could not accept that his kingdom was Jotenheim, or that he was destined to only be a surrogate in times of Thor's absence. Not that he was particularly fond of the planet, but the words of The Other and his council rung in his ears from time to time, he could transform them, teach them, and mold Midgard into a society that could rival Asgard. He sighed again and writhed a bit upon the bed. She turned over, opened her tired eyes and sat up.

"Loki."

She said, concern in her voice, her hands groping his side of the bed. Loki took her hand and squeezed it tenderly. She calmed down; he kissed her hand as she laid back into the pillows.

"I'm here."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. You have become rather nervous, Love."

"I know. It is the mortality; when you know that you are going to die, you become constantly worried about every little thing, every little noise, every odd occurrence or thought. It's exhausting; I never realized how many different ways these humans can die."

"Are you afraid to die?"

"Not before today, when I thought you would be waiting for me on the other side. But now, I suppose I am...But it shouldn't happen for a very long time."

Loki smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder, though the thought of her mortality was depressing to say the least. He loved this woman more than anything, more than life and certainly more than the promises he had made to The Other, or even his pursuit of revenge. He had managed to escape the clutches of the hideous creature unscathed and was prepared to abandon all the work he had done to stay there with her, especially if he could find a way to restore her powers and immortality. He closed his eyes having made up his mind to never leave her side again and grinned as he wondered how long it would take for The Other to figure out that his final hope for saving his planet was lost. At that moment he breathed easily and drifted off to sleep believing that he had in the end gotten what he wanted most of all, to destroy The Other and to be reunited with his Sigyn.


	28. Chapter 27 : part 2

**I wanted to do something special for valentines day and give Loki and Sigyn an almost normal day together... before things happen. I would have posted yesterday but my laptop went haywire. Anyway, chapter 28 should be up by tomorrow night. read and comment please. **

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She noticed the sound of the shower running and smiled, realizing that Loki was not only up before her once again, but he was also figuring out how to work her mortal contraptions by himself. She laughed a little to herself as she imagined him getting burned by the scalding hot water that shot out of the shower if it wasn't turned on a particular way. Trying to sleep with any sort of clothes on with her husband around had been a useless waste of time, but at some point in the night she had managed to slip on his grey t-shirt and nothing else. She made her way to the bathroom door as she stood and stretched and yawned. She opened the door and was met with steam. He peeked his head out from behind the curtain and grinned at her. His skin slowly turned from blue back to its normal pale white, Sigyn was surprised.

"What are you doing?"

"The only way I could stand the heat was to change."

"I'll fix it for you."

She fiddled with the silver and white knobs expertly and in an instant the water was a reasonable temperature. Loki grinned again and thanked her. As she closed the shower curtain she watched as he rested his arms on the wall before him, leaning his weight against them as he hung his head and let the water run down his back. Sigyn bit her bottom lip and took off the t-shirt, letting it fall to the ground as she climbed in the shower and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his back. He smiled and placed his hands over hers, standing up straight.

"I've come to terms with it, I think."

"Really?"

He smiled, able to completely imagine the hopeful look on her face as she said it.

"Somewhat, maybe not _really_. Let's just say, I've accepted that it is true." He laughed a little and hung his head again "And there is nothing I can do to change it."

"Loki." She kissed the line of his spine and rubbed his stomach "You are perfect. Nothing about you is changed because of Odin's lie. You are just a more aware version of yourself…knowing what you are doesn't have to change who you are."

He sighed. Sigyn took his cloth and gently washed his back. When she finished he turned to face her, letting the water rinse away the soap she'd lathered him with. He looked upon her in such confusion and turmoil that she immediately placed her arms around his neck and held him close. He held her body tightly against his and rested his chin on her head. The only sound was the sound of the water running, hitting the porcelain floor and loudly running down the drain.

It was impossible not to be aroused by the sight and feel of his wife, still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, and still the most unusual, despite the fact that he had traveled to many planets in many realms. But in this moment Loki's mind was not on sex, he needed something far more intimate than that from her; reassurance. He needed her to comfort him, as only she could. He eased his grip on her body and she looked up at him. He kissed her forehead; she switched places with him and bathed herself in the spray of the shower as he washed her back. He realized he had never actually touched the oil she derived her fragrance from. He wondered how she could have found the same scent on Midgard as she had on Asgard. She explained that the flowers it was made of were Midgardian. She turned and showed him that he only needed to use a little now, she would rub the rest on after she got out.

"Why don't you ever let me put it on you?"'

"I didn't realize you wanted to." She smiled up at him as she rinsed herself off. "I think it would have been a bit presumptuous of me to ask…"

"I love you."

It was odd and sudden, but Sigyn stood on tip toe to kiss him softly as she reached behind her and turned off the water. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel, modesty getting the best of her yet again, and used another one to dry her arms and legs. Loki dried himself as well and wrapped his towel around his hips. He sat next to Sigyn at the foot of her bed and took the small glass bottle she held, interrupting her in the middle of oiling her arms. She raised a curious eyebrow, but turned towards him and laid her legs across his lap. She stifled a grin by biting her lip as he gingerly poured a thin line of oil down the entire length of her leg and began to rub it in. She found it adorable that he looked so intently at what he was doing, as though it required a great amount of skill and concentration. His hands were strong, masculine and large with long skinny fingers; they were hands that had inflicted pain countless times in countless ways, hands that had killed, hands that had murdered, yet in this moment those hands were gently massaging the leg of the woman he adored, with a touch so careful and delicate it seemed impossible they were capable of their past deeds. He glanced over at her, wondering if he was doing this right. She had a look on her face that made his heart stop; she was happy. He could not remember the last time she'd looked that way. He beamed at her, the smile still on his face as he returned his attention to her legs.

"Ask me anything, Woman."

"Tell me everything."

"Where should I start?"

"After you let go of Gungnir…what happened?"

He stopped rubbing her calf and looked at her. He looked deeply wounded.

"I did not let go of Gungnir. _Thor"_ he spat the word out, loathing in his eyes, "threw me off the Bifrost."

"Loki-"

"After that," he continued, ignoring her attempt to speak as he massaged her foot "I fell. I fell through space; it was simply nothingness and energy. I saw horrific things as I fell, which I cannot even begin to describe mostly because I do not wish to relive them." He flinched a little at the hand she placed on his shoulder, she stroked his ear, which comforted him immensely "And the pain was extraordinary. You would think falling would be swift and painless, but in reality, at least in that abyss that I fell into, it was excruciating and seemingly endless. The abyss had electricity to it, so as I fell I was…shocked, for lack of a better word. It was as though I was constantly being struck by lightning; it _burned_, it was torture, and it was constant."

Her mouth hung open, in alarm and sympathy, she covered it lightly. He looked over at her with a curious and slightly offended expression as she moved her hand off of his shoulder; she quickly put it back.

"It burned?"

"Yes. The movement of falling was horrible, as I continued to travel down my skin felt as though it was being ripped off of my body. Strangely enough, I never flailed my arms, or screamed, or tried to reach out into the nothingness in the hopes of controlling or breaking my fall." He pulled her onto his lap as he rubbed the oil into the skin of her thighs. He concentrated on that as she concentrated on his face, waiting for him to continue. "I did not want to move, or stop, despite the pain. The pain was all that I could accurately feel; everything else I was numb to, I think….and so, I fell, on and on and on. Until I crashed into the cold grey earth of Chitauri, and was discovered and brought to The Other."

"The Other?"

"The ruler of Chitauri." She nodded her understanding. "This is the part that may scare you, but hear me out; when the Chitauri found me, I was dead."

"What do you mean you were dead?"

"I died, Sigyn. Completely. I remember what death was like. I remember what it felt like to be just a soul. The peace of it…"

Sigyn looked into his eyes and cupped his face in her hands. His hand rested on the skin of her inner thigh, which he squeezed, tenderly. She kissed his forehead.

"That is why I could not find you."

"That is the only reason you could not find me, my Sigyn. I know that." She kissed his lips, the top and the bottom one at a time before pressing her mouth completely against his. "The Chitauri brought me back to life with their strange brand of science, but you had come to earth by then." She nodded, leaning her forehead on his. "The Chitauri are hideous Love, and that is no exaggeration, they are the most ugly and disgusting creatures in the entire universe." Sigyn smiled at the vehemence in his voice; he meant every word. "They are also hopeless blunderers and they intended to use me to save their planet from the wrath of Thanos."

"Thanos! Loki tell me you have not been held captive by the madman of the universe, on top of everything else?"

"I have not; calm yourself."

She breathed easy.

"So what then….did you help them?"

"They had the technology to not only allow me to see you, but to allow me to travel here; so, yes, I did, until they betrayed me. They threatened you, and so now they will be utterly destroyed." She looked at him in shock and awe, and admiration. She suddenly wanted him very, very badly. "After that I came to you. That isn't everything, but it's what you need to know. The rest is over now, so I'd rather not talk about it, if you want me to I will…but I would honestly rather not."

He looked to be pleading with her not to ask him of it. She had millions of questions but no desire to make him uneasy or have him relive the horrors he had endured.

"Don't say honestly, Loki." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "But fine. What about before you left Asgard? Why did you do all those horrible things?"

"I don't know Woman." He said, playing with the folds of her towel. "Lay down and I'll do your back."

"Do not change the subject. We will discuss this; I would know why you sent the destroyer after Thor, why you allowed Laufey to enter Asgard, why you sought to destroy all of Jotenheim…Why, Loki?"

He looked her eye to eye and sighed. His glare was menacing, Sigyn was unphased by it. She had a glare all her own, just as menacing, that she could have shot right back at him and he knew it. She did not, however, instead opting to run a finger down his cheek and keep her face serene. He relented. He thought of his deeds so long ago and immediately remembered his motivation. He was loathe to speak it aloud just then, considering how he felt about all of it now.

"I wanted Asgard to be rid of the Jotun threat once and for all, and I wanted to finally vanquish Odin's greatest foe to prove to him that I was truly…his son, that he had not taken me in vain, and that I wasn't a mistake. That I loved him."

His face burned a deep red, from his cheeks to his ears, his forehead to his neck. He looked like it pained him just as deeply to admit his love for Odin as to describe his fall. He would not look into her eyes; she kissed his cheek and spoke softly.

"I understand, and if it is any consolation, your father knows that's why you did all of it. You were a fine king during your short reign and he has said so himself. He mourns you Loki, he loves you too."

The look he gave her was murderous. He spoke in a deep voice, heavy with repugnance.

"He is not my father." He pushed her hand away before she could touch his face. "He is nothing to me."

"Loki-"

"I don't want to hear it. You plead for me to listen to the nonsense you spew, when I know better. He lied to me; he lied to you about me. Our entire lives, I was a lie. You thought I was a prince; I was actually a frost giant. A monster."

"You were a prince either way Loki. And you _were_ a monster at times, I always knew that."

"He favored Thor. I betrayed my father, my people, and he let that boar throw me off the Bifrost. I did all I could to sure up the safety of the realm, once and for all eliminating the greatest threat that Asgard has ever known, yet all he could see was Thor."

"Loki, listen to me."

She held his face firmly in her hands, he tried to pry her hands off, she turned to straddle his lap. No matter how much he pulled at her fingers, they would not budge. He did not want to feel this warmth in his chest, he did not want to be affected by her reason, he did not want to hear the truth, and yet he could not escape it. Her knees bore into the bed, her body pressed firmly against his, pinning him to the mattress. She cupped his face gently as he eased his grip on her wrists. There was anger and sadness in equal measure in his eyes, his face was screwed into a disgusted expression, which softened slowly as he looked into her face. It was clear she was determined to say what she had to say, and she would not let him go until she did.

"Sigyn, I don't want to hear this; I Won't Listen To It! How can you take his side? You were there, you saw what happened! Why can't you be on my side, for once? Why do I always have to understand them, when they never understood me? They never even tried to, and you think I'm wrong. I'm always wrong."

"Be Quiet."

"This is nothing but your loyalty to Odin, and I said I don't-"

"And I Said, 'Be Quiet.'" She said, forcefully, as she grabbed a handful of hair at the back of his head and held it with a hint of danger. She had his full attention. "I am always on your side. Now you will listen to me. Understood?" He nodded, his eyes wide with fear and respect. "I owe Odin no loyalty, for reasons he knows and reasons you are unaware of. But I watched him after your death. I saw his decree to the people and his demeanor. He put on a brave face for the realm, but he was broken inside…that is more credit than I ever gave him to his face, and if you ever told him I said it I would deny it with every fiber of my being."

Loki breathed and sat quietly as she released the grip on his hair, he stared at her as she continued.

"Thor did not throw you off of the Bifrost." He rolled his eyes and looked away, trying halfheartedly to push her off of his lap, for he knew it was futile. She cupped his face again, he met her eyes, his own eyes defiant and indifferent. "Love, Thor did not throw you off of the Bifrost. You let go of the sword. Your heart was broken, you were disappointed, you made a rash decision. You are notorious for rash decisions." He looked away from her, his face again confused, as though as she spoke he remembered the truth, but could not bear to believe it. "You let go, Loki."

"Why do keep saying that? You were there, I was looking at you. Why would I let go? I would never have let you watch me die, I couldn't have done that to you."

"Well, you did. You were in distress; Odin had just rejected you, misunderstood your actions. You were not in your right mind."

"But you were there."

He was like putty in her hands, helpless and broken, the look on his face was pitiful, he looked amazed at himself. She held his face tighter.

"It didn't matter that I was there. At that point you wanted to go, even if it meant leaving me." He remembered all of it now, it seemed vague and impossible, but he knew she was right, he remembered everything she said. "Thor was in as much agony over your loss as I was."

"I can accept the part I played in my fall. But do not think to persuade me of their love for me. They never loved me."

"They loved you as much as you loved them."

"You are the only one who ever loved me."

"That isn't true. Thor adores you; everyone knows that Thor adores you. Frigga dotes on you. Odin depends on you."

Loki scoffed and rolled his eyes, Sigyn raised her eyebrows.

"You are the only one who never lied to me or betrayed me,"

"Thor never did either of those things."

"Thor! Why all of this about your precious Thor?"

"He is precious to me. I love him, he is my brother."

"Your brother, not mine."

"Loki, he loves you. You should feel sorry for him…all of them, really."

"HA!" He laughed outright at her words, looking at her as if she had lost her mind completely "Feel sorry for them, why exactly?"

"Because, we have each other."

"And they have each other."

"But none of them have what we have with anyone."

"What are you talking about? Mother- I mean Frigga, has Odin, and Thor has his human…and if not he will have Sif."

"They can have whoever they wish, but it will never be this." She linked their fingers together; Loki looked at her, listening to her. "We are not like anything else in the universe. We have something that transcends love, it's deeper than that…what to call it I don't know. But Thor would go on without the girl, and certainly without Sif, and Odin would go on without Frigga and vice versa, but I could not do without you…I think that's obvious, and clearly you could not do without me either."

"If you die I'll die as well. And I won't wait it out; I will end my life in the moments directly following your death."

She kissed him, passionately, slipping her tongue into his mouth and wrestling it against his. He was breathless when she pulled away.

"I won't speak to you in Valhalla if you harm yourself."

"Then I will follow you through the damned hall in silence; I will not live without you Woman," he looked as though the thought of it was absurd, she grinned at him, that irresistibly sexy, playful, childlike grin that undid him in every time he saw it "even if you are just a miserable tease."

"I love you." She said breathlessly as he released her from the kiss he had placed upon her lips. "Wait, I have something to tell you. It's important."

She said, placing her arms against his chest as he laid back on the bed and rolled her onto her back. She was distracted by what he was doing to her neck, and the way his fingers were traveling up her inner thigh and between her legs. She protested a little, but not really, as he undid her towel and kissed her across her collar bone. She tried to concentrate, to wriggle away. Loki sighed and sat up.

"Whatever it is, it can wait. I'm not going anywhere."

She shook her head no and tried to speak before being enveloped in a kiss again. His hand rested on the side of her face, the other above her head, his fingers twirling in her hair. The hand upon her neck began to slide down her body, his fingers gliding over her breasts and her flat stomach, across her belly button and then back between her thighs. He knew from her moans that she wanted him to touch her, and he knew exactly where and how she wanted him to do it. He continued to kiss her, controlling her tongue with his, kissing her deeply, letting out deep moans of his own from time to time, but he wouldn't give her what she wanted, instead he ran his fingers up and down the smooth and sensitive skin of her inner thigh. She pulled her lips away from his.

"Loki, please."

"Wait, Sigyn."

"No…that isn't what I mean."

"Well, tell me later."

"B-but," she sighed as he lavished her neck with affection again. His tongue ran lovingly across her throat, her eyes rolled back as he sucked upon the skin at a certain point on her collar bone. He tried not to smile, he knew she liked it. She continued. "Loki it's about the baby…"

He looked up between kisses and brought himself to her so that he could see into her eyes. He kissed her, somehow a kiss deeper and more ardent than the one before it, which Sigyn did not imagine possible. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"We'll still have a baby…babies, if you want. I promise." He placed a protective hand on her belly. "Don't worry."

He was once again her young prince, kind and sweet to her, almost as if nothing had ever torn them apart in the first place. Her hands flew to his head and she pulled his lips back to hers, rising up off the bed as she did so. She could not bear to break his heart when it seemed to have been somewhat mended, at least for the moment. He took his sweet time with her body, as though he was intent on giving every part of her the attention that it deserved. She watched him as he kissed her hands, brushing his lips gently across her palms, then up her arm to her shoulders, back down to her waist via her chest and eventually to her belly button. He ran his tongue slowly across the flat area of smooth skin that bridged one hip to the other. It tickled, she laughed and almost forgot what she needed to say. He worked his way down to her knee, and raised her leg to give attention to the sensitive area at the back of it. She bit her lip and looked up at him as he kissed her. She wondered how he knew about all these places to touch and kiss; he had always known, from their first night together. She felt jealousy creep into her mind, it was obvious, and Loki recognized it on her face. He was familiar with the emotion and could spot it anywhere. He tried not to smile at the fact that he was giving her his full attention, but she was jealous of the thought of him possibly giving the same attention to another woman in the past. He bit her leg gently, down her calf to her ankle and up her foot before he pulled her up by her wrists and placed her hands on his chest. She looked into his face, he grinned at her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't as virtuous as you before we were married." He kissed her quickly. "But they were nothing to me, and you know better than anyone how true that is."

She nodded as she laughed, he smiled, a little confused because he was being sincere. She ran a finger down his body to the towel at his hips and gently pulled it off. He kissed her and they fell back into the bed.

She had wrapped one of her legs around his waist and was running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, when paws began to scratch at the door and Mylo could be heard whimpering quietly behind it. Sigyn broke their kiss and looked up.

"It's just the dog."

He said indifferently as he turned her mouth back towards his and began to kiss her again. She pushed him away, he looked down on her, very annoyed.

"He's hungry and he needs to go out. Get off me."

"Sigyn," he whispered, begging. She smiled, he hadn't begged for her since he'd come back; she loved to hear him beg. "He can wait."

"He's been waiting."

She knew he was weak, she pushed him away. He laid facedown and still on the bed. He was so aroused it was painful to move. She got up and threw on her clothes, a t-shirt, a jacket, a pair of jeans, and sat back down to put on her shoes after letting the dog in to reassure him that she was awake and had heard him. Loki pouted, unseen by Sigyn. She would have laughed to see him pout.

"When you care more for a dog than for me, things have gotten pretty bad I think."

"Don't be upset He needs me. He's helpless."

"So am I."

She smiled and shook her head before standing to go. She didn't even look back as she walked out of the bedroom.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I love you!"

He called after her, in a voice that seemed to be asking her to turn around, to please come back, to pay attention to him too. She called back that she knew, grabbed her keys and the leash and let the door close behind her with a small slam.

Loki groaned into the bed. He laid face down on the mattress until he heard a knock at the door. His head shot up and he grinned before quickly wrapping his towel back around himself and checking his hair in the mirror. It was perfectly mussed, as much as his perfect hair could be mussed, and he grinned to himself as he sauntered to the door. This would be fun. He would get her back for leaving him the way she had.

He opened the door and was surprised to see a young woman with a baby in her arms standing there, but he was sure the look of shock on his face was bested by the look of it on hers. She stammered, and looked at the number on the door to ensure she had the right place. The baby smiled at him, with his dark hair and dark eyes; Loki looked at him, suspiciously.

"I-i-is Sigyn, um, here?"

She said, not at all able to resist allowing her eyes to wander down his body. Loki sneered at her; he didn't want anyone objectifying him but his wife.

"She took the dog out, who are you?"

'And who is this child?'

He thought to himself. He was short with the woman, she was taken aback.

"I'm her friend, Anna; I just wanted to…talk to her."

"She'll be back."

The friendly baby waved to Loki, who looked at it as though it were an alien. His mind wandered to the fact that Sigyn had been trying to tell him something about a baby. Now this dark haired child was waving to him, and the woman holding it was acting rather strange.

"He's saying hello to you."

Anna smiled at Loki, who raised his eyebrows and leaned his neck back a bit at her words, wondering why she felt like she could be that familiar with him. These mortals may not have known that he was royalty or a deity, but they had to see that he was still above them…didn't they? He looked away from her to the baby who continued to wave, he somehow managed to wave back. Phillip's face lit up, and he held out the toy he had brought with him to Loki.

He held the plush doll with the green eyes and black hair in his hands. He furrowed his brow, looking from it to the baby with a softened and confused expression. Anna chuckled a bit to herself.

"He sort of looks like you, doesn't he?"

Loki shot her a look, narrowed his eyes and spoke just as harshly as before. He was annoyed at the way she said it, he did not know if she meant the doll or the baby.

"Who did you say you are?"

Before she could answer Philip let out a dramatic hum and reached his hands towards Loki, who offered him the doll. He pushed the doll away and wriggled in Anna's arms, still reaching for Loki. Loki looked puzzled; Anna smiled but hesitated as she spoke.

"He wants you to hold him."

Loki's mouth hung open in shock. He had never actually held a child before, certainly not one as young as this. Anna placed the jumpy baby in his arms. He tried to mimic the way she held him with one arm under his bottom. Philip rested his head on Loki's bare shoulder and played with his doll. Loki felt himself blush.

"What's the boy's name?"

He asked, sounding much nicer than before.

"Philip." She liked how they looked together. She liked how this man looked period. She sighed deeply, a little disappointed for she recognized him now; this was Sigyn's husband. "Lucas!"

Loki looked at her, he had been preoccupied with the baby, who sat up and pressed his hands against Loki's face, laughing as Loki smiled at him.

"Sorry?"

"You're Sigyn's husband!"

"Yes."

"No wonder…." Her voice trailed off, Loki opened his mouth to ask her the question burning in his mind, when suddenly the patter of six feet sounded on the stairs, and Sigyn and Mylo appeared. Sigyn looked surprised by the scene. Everything about it was more surprising the next. Anna at her door, Loki standing there in a towel, Philip in Loki's arms looking content. Sigyn blinked a few times and let go of Mylo's leash, he ran into the apartment.

"Good Morning Anna, nice to see you."

She said calmly as she crossed the hall. She placed a loving hand on Philip's back and kissed his cheek as she stood next to Loki. He stared at her with an odd expression on his face; Sigyn wasn't sure what to make of it. She turned her attention to Anna, who took the three of them in. They looked like a family, Philip looked like their son, especially as he began to wriggle in Loki's arms and reach for Sigyn. She looked like a mother as she took the child into her arms with a nonchalant expression on her face. Philip kissed her cheek. Mylo barked loudly. Anna tried to speak.

"I have a favor to ask you."

"Sure. Darling, could you go feed the dog for me."

Loki nodded and walked off watching the two women intently from the kitchen; he caught himself before he waved his hand and made a meal appear in the dog's bowl. He searched the cabinets for dog food, wishing as he continued his search that Sigyn was still a mind reader.

"It's under the sink, Love."

She called over her shoulder. Loki grinned to himself, and went about his task unnoticed by Sigyn or Anna. Anna had a look of relief and joy on her face that had not been there since long before Christmas, Sigyn decided to believe it was because she was happy for her.

"I came to ask if I could borrow some money for milk. I can pay you back tomorrow."

"Sure. I'll get my wallet."

She reached into her coat pocket which hung behind the door and fished in her wallet for the twenty she always kept there.

"I don't need this much."

"I don't have anything smaller. Just take it, keep it."

"Thanks. We'll go now, and leave you guys alone."

She avoided Sigyn's eyes as she took Philip and hurried down the hall. Sigyn sighed and closed the door. Loki washed his hands; Sigyn stood next to him and washed hers.

"That baby…"

"He seemed to like you."

"Who is he?"

"Anna's son."

"_Anna's_ son….oh, well of course, that makes sense; much more sense."

"More sense than what, my love?"

He smiled a wide smile and shook his head a little at himself.

"I think I thought for a second that he was ours…that you were trying to tell me about him earlier."

It felt like punch to the gut to hear the sweetness and excitement and the distinct disappointment in his voice. She kissed his shoulder.

"No he isn't ours. But I suppose he could have been…"

She looked deeply sad, he looked down at her.

"It still could be, Sigyn. I dare say it will be, and soon. What's wrong with you?"

He pushed her playfully; she bumped his hip with hers. He grabbed her waist and turned her around to face him, kissing her quickly as he lifted her from the floor and sat her on the counter. He stood between her legs; she placed her hands on his bottom as he kissed her nose and bit her lower lip.

"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"I can cook now!" Loki looked at her as though she had cursed him, she laughed. "I had to learn, Loki! I'm not a princess anymore; no magic and no one to wait on me hand and foot."

"But still…._cooking?"_

She laughed harder at the way he said it, like it was a dirty word he loathed to speak aloud.

"Its easy, and fun…I can show you how to do it."

"Absolutely not! Perhaps you've forgotten yourself for the moment but I most certainly have not. I will not degrade myself with these mortal practices any more than I have to in order to be with you." She kissed him as he continued his rant. "Honestly Sigyn! Cooking! Show me how to do it! You've gone crazy, I think. You Are Not A _Mortal_…You're My Wife, You're a Goddess. You Do Not Cook."

"But I like to cook."

She said with a shrug, he looked at her as though her face had melted off.

"I have to find a way to get you back to Asgard. You're insane."

She smiled, and chose her next words carefully.

"What if I don't want to go back to Asgard?"

"You have to. You have to get your powers back, your immortality. You'll be safe there."

"I do not _have_ to do anything…and I'm safe here… Do you want to go back to Asgard?"

"We're talking about you not me. You _need_ to go back there."

"So do you. Thor and Frigga-"

"Sigyn,"

"They love you, they deserve to know your alive…even Odin deserves that."

"Must you?"

"Yes."

"I don't care for them as much as you seem to think I do."

She cleared her throat and mimed his voice and mannerisms as she spoke.

"'But know with absolute certainty, no matter what I do, my love for you and Asgard is boundless.' Your words, not mine."

"That was before… I haven't forgiven them."

"I know. But you heard what I said, and it's eating at you and so I know you'll get there, eventually."

He looked her eye to eye and smiled. She smiled back.

"I've never given you a reason to have this kind of faith in me."

"Faith is for things that are uncertain or mysterious; I know for certain that your heart is noble and more than that it is good, and knowing that is why I can trust in you."

"Well, you are completely wrong about that, Sigyn. I'm not good."

"I said your _heart_ is good. The problem is that you rarely lead with it unless I'm involved." He nodded, she had a point. "And you're not as bad as you think you are."

"I could be. And I will be if anything happens to you. So go back to Asgard for me." He looked down, suddenly ashamed, a slightly pained expression on his face. "Please."

She laughed at the effort it took him to say it. He laid his head on her shoulder; she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stroked his neck and the beginning of his spine. Her touch was gentle and caring and soothing. Though there were many problems and obstacles hovering around them, it felt like for the first time they could be a couple. There was no kingdom full of expectations upon them and no titles or duties they needed to uphold; here there was only them. They could do what they wanted, when they wanted, and there was nothing to stop them.

"Fine, but I am not going without you. I won't be separated from you again."

"Sigyn."

"I mean it."

"We will go back to Asgard, together."

He relented, reasoning that they did not have to stay, and that if they did stay Asgard was a large kingdom, plenty large enough for them to get lost in. They could disappear as soon as she was restored to her old self. He told himself this, knowing it was completely unrealistic, but it was what he needed to believe to make the promise to go back there.

He had no need for a throne or anything else now, especially not now that he had seen what life with just him and Sigyn was like. He had nothing to prove, he felt as though he had won something greater than any throne or kingdom in the universe.

"Swear?"

"I swear."

"Allright. How do we get back?"

"That's what I don't know." He kissed her softly and closed his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers. "But I'll find a way."

"And what if I can't get my powers back? What if I have to stay mortal?"

"Why would that be? Odin can bestow deity and power on whoever he wishes. Thor lost both when he was banished and when he returned he was restored." Loki stepped back and looked at her. She knew all of this just as well as he did. Something else was going on. "What did he do to you?"

Sigyn looked at him, saw the suspicion in his eyes and looked away, wanting to hop off the counter and run out the door. He grabbed her waist as though he read her mind and looked sternly into eyes.

"Who?"

She asked in a small voice, trying to look and sound innocent and unassuming.

"Odin, Woman, why are you so angry with him? Why don't you want to go home?"

She held his gaze and tried to look confused, Loki narrowed his eyes and frowned.

"I'm not angry with him…I just blame him, for…things."

"Things like what?" She shrugged and tried to kiss him, he grabbed her face "Things like what, Sigyn? What were you trying to tell me before? You said something about owing him no loyalty…what does that mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything." She sat up straight and looked into his eyes, suddenly confident and alluring as ever. His grip on her waist tightened, she smiled "He hurt you, that's all. Isn't that enough?"

"There is something else. You're hiding something from me. Wipe that lascivious simper off your face and tell me right now."

"Loki," she whined, annoyed with him, unable to think quickly enough to tell him the truth in as painless and tactful a way as she wanted to. "I have nothing to hide."

"Don't lie, Sigyn."

She started to wriggle upon the counter, he held her in place. She squeezed her thighs against him out of frustration, he moved his hands from her waist to her knees and pushed her legs away. She was furious and speechless as he held her still by her hips and looked into her eyes. She was surprised to see that he wasn't angry.

"I can't tell you. I don't know how!"

"You don't have much of a choice."

"Let go of my legs." He raised an eyebrow at her, she sighed. "I'll be still!"

He loosened his grip on her legs and waited a moment to see if she would keep her word before letting go of her completely. He rested his hands on the counter on either side of her body and looked at her expectantly. She sighed again.

"How bad is it?"

"It's horrible. You're going to be furious with me."

"No I won't. I promise." He kissed her cheek. "Tell me."

She focused her eyes on the floor behind him and prepared herself to speak. She did not want to know the expression of those eyes as they comprehended what she had to say.

"There was a baby when we were on Asgard. I had no idea of it, because of what the healer kept saying, you remember." She glanced over at him and saw him nod. "Well, there was a baby, and she knew, and Odin knew, and my father knew, but they did not think it wise for us to know until they knew for certain what the child was. The baby died before they could figure it out."

"What do you mean 'until they knew for certain what the child was'? It was a baby."

"I know Loki, they were concerned because…"

Her voice trailed off, her eyes inadvertently wandered to his. He frowned in disappointment.

"Because of me, because I'm a frost giant."

"Loki,"

"Did the baby die, or did they kill it? Tell me the truth, Sigyn."

"I'm not sure. I think it die-"

"Why are you lying?" He moved away and began to pace back and forth, from one end of the kitchen to the other. "I can see _everything_ now, it is so obvious. His misgivings at the dinner party, the healer's lies, the sudden _hunger pains_ that incapacitated you, I should have known."

He looked at her and stopped moving. She wondered what she could possibly say next.

"You knew all of this and still tried to convince me of his love for me. Why?"

"Because I love you; I don't want you to be consumed with hatred for anyone, not even Odin. He thought he was protecting the realm and that we would never know the difference."

"DO NOT JUSTIFY HIM IN THIS! HE KILLED MY SON!"

"It might not have been a boy. It was too young to be anything yet."

She said quietly. She hung her head towards the floor and only noticed her tears because of the tiny wet spots they left on her jeans as they fell. Loki's face softened and he started to go towards her. Before he reached her she slid off of the counter and stood there with her arms folded in front of her. He wanted to wipe her tears away and hug her.

"I broke my promise, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I would have been concerned if you simply took the news in stride." She shrugged a little and continued. "I was devastated to find out. I never would have imagined he would do that to us. But he did. The only reason I can even begin to see his side of it is because you're here now. Before I could hardly look at him; I was furious. He took my baby away, and then he broke your heart and robbed me of all hope for me to have another child. If you could have seen my actions in the aftermath you would understand why I had to leave there."

He nodded. She wiped away her own tears and looked up at him.

"I don't know what to do."

"In all truth, there is nothing to be done, but it is all right, Loki. Now it is. We will have other children."

"But," he closed his eyes, dreading the reality of the words that were leaving his mouth. "What if they are frost giants?"

"They won't be. They examined the baby, it was Asgardian; it was perfect. A god child."

He looked like someone had hit him in the chest. The air went quickly out of his lungs and he struggled to keep his own tears from falling. He was relieved. He was angry, but relieved, though the anger seemed to be strengthened by the relief.

"Am I supposed to forget this, this murder? Am I meant to forgive this?! One child does not replace another, Sigyn. Everything would have been different if we had known, Everything!"

"But we can't change it. And, no, one child cannot replace the other, but revenge won't bring the baby back to life either. I cannot say that you should forgive your father, I haven't done that. But I have tried to understand the reasoning behind it. And I do. I despise it, but I understand."

He paced again for a moment, then stopped in his tracks with his back to her. He placed a hand to his forehead and began to speak. His emotions were moving as though they were caught in a whirlwind along with his thoughts. He was suddenly sad again.

"I never wanted it to be this way. I would have let you marry Theoric if I had known things would go so wrong. I have caused you nothing but misery since the day you became my wife. I am so sorry, Sigyn."

She looked confused. She furrowed her brow, squinted her eyes, and slowly began to laugh. He was shocked as he turned to face her and worried as he caught her before she collapsed onto the floor.

"Are you all right?"

"Loki…you're so dramatic!" She rested her hand on his shoulder and leaned her face into his chest. "You would not have let me marry Theoric! You know it!" She continued to laugh, Loki smiled in spite of himself, her laugh was infectious. "Misery, really? You're an idiot!"

She stood on her own two feet and pushed him away.

"But we haven't been happy together."

"I beg your pardon; I was happy every day I went to bed and woke up next to you. I love being your wife, even when it hurts."

"But I cost you your child."

"You gave me my child and you didn't take my child away."

"Odin did…I want him dead, Sigyn."

"I don't. I wish you wouldn't."

"I don't understand you, there is no woman who would tolerate what he's done. Anyone else would be cheering me on, helping me plot."

"He did what he thought he had to. I hate him for it, if I'm completely honest, but killing Odin will only take you away from me again."

"Nothing will take me away from you again."

"Rage, revenge, they consume and they change. You will be lost to me, even more so than you were before."

He remembered himself on Chitauri, how revenge had kept him away from her for so long, and he knew that she was right. He tried to understand.

"How can I go back there, and see him, after what he's done? He Killed My Child."

"Well if its any consolation, he killed my child too."

The sarcasm in her tone was adorable to Loki, he almost smiled at it.

"He killed_ our_ child."

"I know he did." She kissed his neck pressing her fingers into the sides of his body as she did. "I imagine he is tormented by it, though. Especially since the child was perfect." He looked down on her. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Please. I never want to speak of it again."

"But-"

She covered his mouth with a finger and used her free hand to trace his back, down to where the towel rested on his hips.

"Loki, please. I don't wish to relive the past and be melancholy when you have come back to me. It's useless and painful. i want to be happy while we're together...for a change."

* * *

She laid on her back on the couch, Loki breathless atop her, and felt on the floor for her t shirt. Loki knocked it out of her hand and sat up, looking at her for a moment before kissing her softly on the lips. The early afternoon sun poured in on them and she smiled as his fingers ran the length of her leg before he lifted it and rested it across his back. She spoke in a quiet voice as he kissed her neck.

"Don't you want to go out and see the city?"

"No."

He kissed her mouth again, not wanting to hear anymore of her bright suggestions. She laughed and pushed his face away.

"Why not Lover?"

"Can I make love to you as we travel through the city?"

"Absolutely not."

"Well then. No."

He tried to move their hips closer together, she wiggled out of reach.

"But it'll be fun, besides, I'm starting to think you only want me for my body."

"Is there something else to want you for?"

He laughed as she pushed him off the couch. She slid on her t-shirt and kicked him in his side as she stood up.

"_We_ are going out. Get dressed."

* * *

Loki was perturbed by the subway. The smell of it, the close proximity of one seat to another, the fact that just anyone could get on it. It vexed him. The people were there in his face, clicking away on their phones or reading their books, or typing on computers. Some begged the others for change. Sigyn gave her money to the beggars freely, with a smile on her face. Loki took great effort not to snatch her hand away and threaten the bums within an inch of their lives for daring to speak to her. He had to remember they did not know who she was. He had to remember she was not offended by this.

He was relieved to exit the train until he took in the hustle and bustle of the station platform. Sigyn linked her fingers with his as he trailed behind her with a bewildered expression. She finally led him into the light of the sun after climbing stairs and walking long tunnel like hallways. He was disappointed to see the streets as full of people as the train and the station. He followed her with a scowl on his face. He noticed many of the people he passed were scowling as well. Maybe New York wasn't so bad after all.

They walked for miles and miles, or at least that's how he felt about it. He listened as she pointed out buildings and stores to him. She dragged him into a few shops and watched as he tried on clothes, suppressing her laughter as he bellowed at sales people who tried to help him into the garments. He would come out scowling for the most part, although he rather liked some of the clothes she picked out for him. He wondered why most of the men he saw didn't wear these suits all the time. He was not at all impressed with the way he felt in what the salesperson called 'meggings'. They clung to his body like tights, or the pants that Sigyn wore, and he felt absolutely ridiculous. Her face twitched as she tried not to laugh.

"You look beautiful."

"Shut up Sigyn."

He hurried back into the dressing room, but not before she got a picture of him with her iPhone. The poor sales woman looked to be on the verge of tears as she followed Loki out. She carried his things to the counter and separated what he wanted from what he did not want. They paid and left the store.

"You don't have to be so mean to them Loki!"

"I do. They fawn over me, suggest things that make absolutely no sense. I looked like a…fancified dandy," he whispered his last words and looked around them, he had seen quite a few dandyish men in their walk, and did not mean to offend any of them "a real live fop in those pants. I like a good looking garment just as much as the next person, but honestly, what sort of man walks around in pants like a woman would wear!"

"A man who has style and flair, a man who likes to show off his body, or possibly a man who wants to attract other men….there are lots of reasons that the people dress the way they do. Fashion here is much more tied to personality than it is on Asgard."  
She suddenly noticed that Loki had stopped walking a few paces back, and she turned to see him standing stone still, his mouth agape, his expression completely shocked. He looked to be suppressing a giggle. "Loki, are you all right?"

"What do you mean by that?" He grabbed her arm, looking like a child anticipating gossip. "Do the men here…do they pursue other men?"

"Of course they do, Loki, some of them. It happens everywhere."

"Not in Asgard!"

"Are you kidding?"

She began walking again; he hurried to catch up with her.

"Wait Woman! Tell me who in Asgard…Sigyn, tell me!"

* * *

They sat in the restaurant, their table lit by a dim light, close to a window that looked out on the street lights below them. Loki watched as the cars crawled along, people walked past in large crowds and neon signs blinked and flashed in every color in every direction as far as the eye could see. He sighed. He was happy to be out and about, he'd had fun, although he still thought he would have rathered stayed in bed with her all day. She smiled across the table at him, though he was transfixed on the world outside the window. His mind wandered back to the Chitauri and their plans, their idea about him and this planet. This planet was simply well organized chaos. Loki could relate to chaos, he could thrive in chaos. He could most certainly rule over chaos, control it, mold it, bend it to his will. He felt a twinge of ambition in his heart. He wanted to stifle it.

"Loki?"

He looked at her and felt himself again as he met her gaze. She raised her eyebrows at him and smiled. Her happiness was greater and more powerful than any nagging worries she felt or doubts she had. She'd spent an entire day with her beloved without incident. No one needed them, they had no responsibilities; all they had was each other. She beamed at him, he grinned back.

"Yes, Love."

"You have to read the menu and tell the waitress what you want."

"And what do I want?"

She looked at her own menu and searched for something he might like.

"Steak."

"Order for me."

He suddenly felt a familiar and totally unwelcome dull ache behind his ear. He rubbed it absentmindedly as she spoke to the waitress. The worker took their menus and walked away, all rather cheerfully, though Loki barely noticed her there. Sigyn looked at him, concerned.

"Are you all right, Darling?"

She reached for his hand, which he took, grasping it lovingly, able to ignore his pain as long as she was touching him.

"I'm fine. I think you may have worn me out with all the walking we've done today."

"If you're nice I'll let you magic us home, how about that?"

He nodded and smiled. She looked around the room. The restaurant was just fancy enough to be five star, but not so fancy that they felt uncomfortable sitting there in casual attire. The atmosphere of the room was smoky and a live band played softly in the distance. She recognized the style of music, jazz, Steve was crazy about jazz and standards and now Sigyn loved the genre as well. As the band finished the number she applauded along with many others in the restaurant. Loki's attention returned to his aching neck almost immediately as she let go of his hand.

He managed to get through dinner; he actually enjoyed his food, and as promised Sigyn snuck him into a somewhat deserted alley and let him use his magic to carry them home. She smiled as they materialized in her apartment, she suddenly thought of it as their apartment, and could feel her body tingling from the magic that had just gone through it.

"That was fun."

He nodded and kissed her. She placed her hand on either side of his face; her finger brushed the area behind his ear. It began to throb and felt sore even though her touch was light. He winced, and although he hoped she wouldn't notice of course she did. Even in the dark apartment her bright brown eyes bore into his piercing greens, she didn't have to ask him about his pain.

"I'm fine."

"Sit down."

He sat on the couch. She turned on the light and sat on her knees next to him, gently bending his ear out of the way and tilting his head up to the light. The scar looked healed, the area did not seem inflamed or infected in anyway. Sigyn frowned as she let go of him and sat at the other end of the couch.

"Sigyn we had a good day today, let's not worry about this."

She looked at him from behind her knees as she bit her fingernail. History had told her to expect the worst; no moment of happiness could come without a tragedy directly following it. She had no words to say, and instead went into her bedroom and began to change her clothes. Loki ignored the pain and followed her.

"I'm fine."

"That's what I'm supposed to say."

"Well you know, I can lie as well as you can when I want to."

She locked herself in the bathroom. Loki stripped down to his underwear and laid across the bed. His eyes fell upon the nightstand on his side, and on the device the Chitauri had given him. He reached over and placed it in the drawer. She came out of the bathroom and crawled into bed next to him.

"It's early, Woman, are you going to sleep?"

"I'm tired."

"But I want to talk to you."

"About the wound behind your ear?"

"No."

"Well then good night."

"Don't dismiss me."

"I watched you all through dinner. Your pain has been worssening all night and you expect me not to notice, not to ask, and to simply go along with you when you say nothing is wrong. You clearly forgot a few things about my nature in your absence from me."

"I love you."

"Not enough to let me help you."

"Help me what, Woman?" He leaned across her; she looked up into his eyes, her expression insulted. "I had a wound there once, and from time to time it pains me. What is there to help me with?" She looked away and rolled her eyes. "Be reasonable. We have enough actual problems; there is no need to create them where they do not exist."

He pinched her thigh, she fought a smile, he poked her ribs, she laughed a little. She thought about his words, and felt that perhaps she had overreacted.

"I'm just afraid. I do not know if I can bear anything more than what I already have. It's hard to believe that we're together again.

"But we are." He kissed her, he slid himself onto the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms, she rested her head on his chest. "You really ought to relax; I'm here now. You get be in my presence every waking moment of your day, you have my undivided attention, you should be the happiest woman in the universe."

"I am."

She kissed his chest, amused by his arrogance. They spoke of many things, the past and the future: how they could get back to Asgard, where they would go after she got her powers back, how many children they would have and what they would name them. They laughed more than anything else. Sigyn was determined not to let her mind or the conversation wander to their lost child, while Loki concentrated on ignoring the pain behind his ear, which had ceased to throb since Sigyn stopped touching it and now ached again. He resisted the urge to reopen the wound to retrieve the piece of technology still lodged there, and he forced to the back of his mind the idea that this pain was the Chitauri's way of calling him back to their planet.


	29. Chapter 28

The sun had risen at some point during Steve's time in the gym. He squinted at the bright light of its morning rays as he walked out of the alley, his hood pulled up over his head which hung down towards the ground. He looked up from time to time, to cross the street and to make sure he wasn't about to walk in to something but somehow involuntarily it found its way back to its lowered position. He imagined this was what the term downcast meant. He certainly felt that way. He wished it was a gray day, cold and rainy. He wished he could force himself to walk home and climb those stairs, without looking towards the door across the hall. He wished he was truly happy for Sigyn, he wanted to be happy for her. But the ache in his chest at the look of relief and happiness on her face since her husband had returned was a distinct reminder of the way he truly felt; heartbroken.

He took the long way home, going around the block in a direction that would lead him past the diner for the first time since the attack. As he approached, he noticed a shrine of flowers on the ground just outside the door, with pictures of James the diner owner, candles, cards and teddy bears. A small group of people stood by it, looking at what others had left and leaving tokens of their own. Steve's eyes and mouth widened in surprise, and suddenly he felt overcome by a sadness much more important than what he'd felt before. A pretty blonde woman came out of the diner and was immediately surrounded by people there to offer their condolences. She smiled sweetly and responded politely to everyone, despite the fact that she seemed to be crying and in a bit of a rush. She held a pair of shades in her hand, but was unable to put them on at the moment. Steve assumed she was James' wife, although she looked to be considerably younger than the kindhearted diner owner. He tried to make his way away quietly, although he too wished to express his sorrow for her loss.

"Wait Sir, please, wait!"

She called after him as the people moved out of the way and continued to talk amongst themselves. Steve turned around, realizing she was speaking to him.

"Yes, Maam?"

"You're the man who helped my father. I saw you here that night; the police pointed you and your girlfriend out to me."

Steve's heart leapt and quickly flinched at the reference to Sigyn, and to Sigyn as his girlfriend. He nodded his head modestly and forced a smile.

"I'm so sorry."

"Please, don't apologize. Thank you. My father would have died alone in the alley if it weren't for you and your friend. Please thank her for me."

"I will."

"I'm Janice, by the way."

"Steve."

"It's nice to meet you Steve. The funeral is the day after tomorrow at St. Mary's Cathedral. 11:00 am."

"I'll let Sigyn know; she was very fond of your father."

"He was a great man." She broke the polite smile she wore as she looked into his blue eyes, so genuinely caring and sympathetic, not like the strangers who were just paying lip service. She felt the tears falling down her face before she could stop them. "Right up until the end, he told the most amazing stories…He said they shot at you, but you dodged each bullet like some kind of superman, and then he said your girlfriend swooped in like a bird to save you. It's all he could talk about on the ride to the hospital, how amazing you both were."

Steve kept an even and natural look on his face, he tried to look understanding and calm, though inwardly his mind was racing; no one from James' family rode with him in the ambulance to the hospital. Now that he thought of it, James' family had not come to the diner at all that night, why would they have?

He kept still, not wanting to give away the fact that he had made her for what she really was; a liar. What kind of liar, he was unsure, perhaps a tabloid newspaper reporter, perhaps a SHIELD operative fishing for information about Sigyn, either way, all he wanted to do was get away from her. He looked deeply into her face, memorizing it; he would need every detail of it for his sketch. She continued to speak.

"Daddy was so grateful to you."

"James was a wonderful man, and he will be dearly missed." He patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry I don't have a handkerchief to offer you."

"It's all right. Tears dry easily enough on their own." She smiled and took a step back. "I suppose I should be going; there is still quite a lot to do before the funeral."

Steve nodded and continued to walk down the street, looking back after getting a safe distance away, as he pretended to go into the drugstore. The woman walked to a car, the same non descript type that had escorted him and Sigyn home on that fateful night, all the while holding a hand to her ear and speaking into a device much like the one Maria Hill had worn. Steve smirked, thinking to himself that if all SHEILD agents were as easy to make as she was, it was no wonder Fury was so eager to recruit him.

* * *

Sigyn's sleep was disturbed by the sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand next to her. She picked it up and read the text.

_I need to talk to you as soon as possible. Be careful. Steve._

She read it again and again before responding with a promise to come over later that morning. Steve was usually much more straight forward than that, never so cryptic. She smirked at the fact that he always, _always_, always signed his name at the end of his messages as if they were handwritten notes, as if she would not know they were from him otherwise. She was immediately more aware of herself and her surroundings; if Steve was warning her about something, he meant it. She trusted him completely.

Her attention was called away from her phone as Loki stirred on the bed next to her. He snatched the phone out of her hand and laid it on the night stand before pinning her to the mattress and lavishing kisses upon her bare back. She grinned, resting her chin on the pillow and sliding her hands beneath it.

"Good morning, Lover."

He mumbled a reply, and rested his head on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her body as tightly as he could. The pain behind his ear was so much easier to ignore when he was near her. He breathed in her scent, he had become addicted to the smell he was certain of it. He almost wanted to dab on some of her oil himself, but he was sure it wouldn't smell as good on him or anyone else as it did on her. It was made for her. He closed his eyes and gently pinched the sides of her body where his hands rested. She smiled.

"If you're still tired, why did you take my phone away?"

"I don't want you talking to your boyfriend behind my back."

"You are my boyfriend."

"Aww."

He said sarcastically, feigning sweetness as she kissed his cheek. He squeezed her tighter, glad that she hadn't caught on to what was really bothering him yet.

"I can't really breathe when you lay on me like this, you do realize that?"

"I just want to be near you, Woman."

"Turn over." He obliged, rolling off her back and onto the mattress. She turned over, covered herself with the sheet and leaned with her back against the headboard. "Okay, now. Come here, Darling."

He smiled and rested his head on her lap. She ran her fingers lightly through his hair and he drifted off to sleep. She saw this as a perfect opportunity to cook for him without his protests. It was a bit odd to see Loki so tired and sleepy, but she thought nothing of it really, since he was being so sweet in his exhaustion. She slid her lap from under his head and kissed him softly on the forehead before she slipped into the bathroom, bathed and dressed quickly and tiptoed past him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Mylo sat quietly in the corner, nibbling on his chew toy. He bounded over to her and took his favorite seat, upon her feet, as she bent and looked in the refrigerator for something good to cook Loki.

"How about it Mylo? What should we make Daddy for breakfast?"

Mylo yelped, Sigyn smiled at him, wondering if he really thought she could understand his suggestion. She decided on French toast. It was quick and simple which was perfect because she doubted that she had much time before Loki woke up. She finished cooking and plated the food with strawberries and syrup. She carried the plate into the bedroom and sat it on her side of the bed before she climbed onto Loki's lap.

She kissed him softly on the lips, and although he smiled a little he did not wake up. She kissed him again and again. He continued to sleep, a small but happy smile still on his face. He looked content. She sat up and looked down on him, a bit frustrated, until she thought of exactly what to say to wake him up. She leaned over and laid her face next to his ear. She had never tried to sound seductive before, but she had a good idea of what her voice could do to her husband. She intended to see just how powerful his desire for her was.

"When you wake up, I will let you do everything you're dreaming about doing to me…all day long if you want."

She grinned as his eyes fluttered open. She gently bit his earlobe and kissed his cheek before sitting up. He looked puzzled.

"How did you know I was dreaming about you?"

"The way you were smiling, if it was anyone else I'd kill you."

He laughed and before he closed his mouth she fed him some of his breakfast. He chewed it, a disgusted look on his face.

"Did you cook this?"

She nodded, smiling. He continued to chew, and swallowed hard. He was quiet for a moment. She looked down on him, anxious to know what he thought.

"Did you like it?"

She asked, tortured by his long silence. He narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you think?"

"I'm a good cook, Loki."

"It tasted fine. I don't quite understand how my wife is content to become a kitchen maid, but at least the food you make is pretty good. Something to fall back on I guess, you know, just in case the whole Princess of Asgard, sorceress, telepathic, mind reading, goddess thing doesn't work out."

"I wasn't any of that when I learned to cook. And I am not a kitchen maid, thank you very much."

She dipped a strawberry in syrup and led it to his mouth. He licked away the string of syrup that threatened to fall off the berry before he sucked the rest off. Sigyn's mouth hung slightly open as she watched this, and her free hand clenched his body involuntarily as he bit the berry, swallowed it and then licked the syrup from her fingers. He realized how she was looking at him and he smiled. She bit her bottom lip and tried to compose herself.

"Are you all right, Woman?"

"I forgot how sexy you can be."

"Sexy?" He was surprised at her words, and even more surprised by the way she kissed him. He pulled his mouth away from hers and looked up at her, her mouth glowed red from their kiss and she breathed heavily. She wanted him for a change. She looked confused that he had stopped her from kissing him. "I'm hungry."

"So am I."

She said breathlessly as she tried to bring her lips to his. He stopped her again. This time grinning. He was glad to be able to do this to her, usually it was the other way around.

"I want_ food_, Sigyn."

He smiled at her, innocently. She sat back up and ran her hand over her face. Slowly the cloud of lust went out of her eyes and she remembered herself.

"I'm sorry. Of course."

She said, as she picked up the plate and resumed feeding him from it. When he'd eaten all of it he snapped his fingers and the dish disappeared, a small clatter sounded in the kitchen sink a moment later to signify its arrival there. Sigyn smiled a little. Loki looked up at her, she kept her eyes firmly on her hands.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I just don't want to attack you again." She held hands with him, but kept her eyes off of his. "I don't know what came over me."

"I liked it."

"Did you?"

She looked up at him, curiously, he returned her gaze with an expression and a nod of the utmost sincerity.

"I don't think you've ever called me sexy before. I don't think I've heard you say 'sex' before."

"Don't tease me Loki."

She smiled as she climbed off of his lap. Loki watched her leave the room in the black t-shirt dress she wore, which was short and only came to her mid thigh. He followed her into the kitchen in his boxers and watched as she bent over to get Mylo's food out of the bottom cabinet.

"I'll do it." Mylo's food appeared instantly in his bowl. Sigyn threw the now empty can in the trash and washed her hands. Loki's eyes fell to the glass bottle of syrup on the counter. He picked it up and studied the container, intrigued by its little silver spout. "Did you make this too?"

"No. I bought that from the store."

He nodded, and in one motion lifted her from the ground and sat her on the round kitchen table. Her eyes widened as he laid her back and lifted her dress, exposing her black lace underwear and her stomach. He poured a thick line of syrup down the middle of her body, from her waist to her belly button, which he filled with as much of the sticky sweet substance as it would hold.

"Would you look at that? How did I manage to make such a mess?" She giggled at his mocking tone as he lowered his face to her body. His tongue was wet and soft as it ran up and down her stomach. He licked the syrup away slowly. She bit her lip and took a sharp breath as he worked on her belly button. Her hands grasped the edge of the table as he sucked the syrup out of it before using his tongue to make slow deep circles inside if it. Between her soft moans she heard the sound of her phone vibrating on the nightstand in the bedroom. She remembered Steve's text and her promise to meet him. She grabbed the sides of Loki's face and sat up, kissing him passionately once she was upright. "I wasn't finished."

"I made a promise, I have to go. I'm sorry." She kissed him softly as she hopped off the table. He held her face in his hands, she pulled away and backed out of his reach. He looked furious. "You have no idea how sorry I am. I'll be right back. I love you."

* * *

SHEILD headquarters was abuzz with excitement, far more than usual. Romanoff had apparently infiltrated the Russian terrorist cell and was doing extremely well, Barton was back from his covert mission, so covert no one except he and Fury knew where it was or who was the target, and Selvig was mere days away from completing the reactor; the agents and operatives had much to celebrate. Fury was in the building, a fact Maria Hill found irritating and comforting at the same time. She was ambitious, she wanted to lead SHEILD but she knew her loyalty, just like everyone else's in the organization, rested solely with the one eyed maverick of a man who led them all with his own brand of wisdom and recklessness. She would lead them all, someday, until then she would watch and learn.

When Fury was away Hill was in charge, just as when Fury was preoccupied Hill was the go to woman. She had been called to meet with him, to brief him on the incident in New York. She walked down the corridors of the underground bunker, greeted every step of the way by a confused agent with a question for her. She of course had the answers, which she calmly and firmly gave, without missing a beat. She came to a halt at the door of Fury's rarely used office and stood still as the lasers of his full body recognition lock identified her. A loud click a moment later indicated that she was authorized to enter. The room was lit by a line of white light the length of each of wall, Fury sat in a high back leather chair at his desk of glass and silver. He looked pensive, he also looked tired. Agent Hill stood at attention before his desk.

"At ease, Agent."

She nodded towards him and flashed a small smile.

"How was Los Angeles?"

"I've seen worse."

"And will Mr. Stark come to heel?"

"Questions like that make it obvious that you have not met Mr. Stark."

Maria Hill smirked and looked the director in the eye.

"Coulson can handle it. I'm sure his billionaire ego is just bruised about the Avengers Initiative."

"Either way, his recklessness with the Iron Man suit is beginning to take a toll on our operations in LA. Billionaire or not, I can't allow that from anyone. So imagine my surprise when I get a call from the opposite coast of the country, and it is my one 'stable' candidate for the team, who with the aid of his girlfriend has managed to almost kill three people in Brooklyn."

She looked across the desk at his face, his eyes were wide with worry and more so, anger. She was relieved to be able to say her next words, and that they were true. She would have hated to disappoint her mentor.

"The situation was nowhere near as bad as all that, sir. They subdued the robbers. Rodgers only called us in to keep the police from questioning him…or the girl."

"Yes the girl…your report said you believe she may be some kind of mutant or something."

"Yes sir. Once we saw how close she was becoming to Rodgers I thought it would be wise to have eyes on her as well."

She crossed behind the desk and touched the air before them. A screen of data appeared and on the screen a video began to play.

The girl stood several feet below the windows of the gym and performed feats. As the camera zoomed in on her she flew, breathed fire, and turned things to ice with her touch. Fury watched the stunning woman in awe. His mouth was agape as Hill closed the screen and walked back to the other side of the desk.

"And that is just what the agent managed to get on film."

Fury looked at Hill, who raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Is she one of Xavier's? Does he know about her?"

"No. Not at all, but another incident like the one the other day and…"

"He will."

"All we need is some brat with a cell phone to catch her in the act, upload it to YouTube and he'll swoop in to collect her….or he'll send Munroe or Grey to collect her."

"I would hate to see her talents watered down and controlled by Xavier…with all due respect he gets on my damned nerves with all that peace and equality talk. Not that I disagree with it, but sometimes it gets in the way of the mutants realizing their potential. They are extraordinary. They should be allowed to show that….But I digress. This girl is the most incredible thing I've seen in a long time."

"So you want her as an agent?"

Hill could not hide the excitement upon her face, and Fury could not suppress the smirk he wore; Hill was not at all the excitable type and so these were unusual circumstances; she had found someone she believed could be a great asset to SHEILD.

"I want her as an Avenger…but I'll settle for her as an agent."

"Excellent, Sir! I'll get on bringing her in right away."

"Hold up a minute Hill, let's be reasonable about this." He gestured for her to take a seat in one of the chairs facing him. She did. "She's just a normal girl other than these, abilities, right?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so. But she can handle this. She's intelligent, she's tough, and she's quick on her feet. The agent watching them in the alley that night said she was ruthless in her punishment of the robbers, she would have killed them if Rodgers hadn't intervened."

"So she listens to Steve, which means she will listen to his, misgivings, about our organization."

"She'll listen to me. This is a girl who can breathe fire, who works as a waitress and a janitor, trust me, she'll want this opportunity."

"Hill, your enthusiasm is commendable and appreciated, but don't scare the girl. I would hate to lose her because we were overzealous in our approach."

Fury met her eyes, and Hill nodded her understanding as she stood from her seat and walked out of the room. He sighed once she was gone and pulled up a screen of his own. With a few strokes of his keyboard every detail of Sigyn O'Donnell's life appeared in the air before him. He settled into his chair and read all about the beautiful mutant from Louisiana.

* * *

She had barely knocked on Steve's door when he opened it, looked up and down the hall suspiciously and pulled her inside all before she could say a word. He locked all the locks on his door once it was closed, she looked at him with a quizzical expression.

"Paranoia has reared its ugly head again, I see."

She smiled, Steve looked at her as though making sure she was all right. He tried not to notice the fact that she was glowing, or how satisfied she looked.

"I need to ask you if you recognize this face."

He held up a beautifully drawn sketch, almost as realistic as a photograph. She stared at the face and tried to see if she recognized it.

"No."

"So you've never seen her at the diner, or with James."

"No."

"So she isn't James's daughter?"

"No, his daughter is much younger than this. She's a little girl."

Steve grinned and put the picture down. Sigyn tried to understand what was going on.

"This woman met me on the street today to thank me for trying to save her father's life."

"That's impossible."

"No, she's just a liar." He looked at Sigyn's face as she felt behind herself for a chair. He realized what she meant. "Oh."

She sat down and looked horribly sad. He wondered how she could read so much into such a small sentence.

"So he died?"

She asked, looking at him with eyes that begged him to tell her she was wrong. He looked away.

"Yeah. He didn't make it."

She was determined not to cry. She composed herself, tried to focus on the rest of what Steve had said.

"And this woman, she lied to you, why?"

"She's a SHEILD Agent."

"Like that Maria Hill woman?"

"Yes"

She shook her head and looked at Steve who sat across from her.

"But I don't understand why they would care about James...He was an ordinary man."

"They're not here for James, Sigyn."

"Then what do they want, why are they here? It can't be about you, they already came for you right."

"Right, so, I'm almost positive they're here for you."

"For Me? For What?"

"They must have an idea about what you can do."

"How could they?"

"They must have been watching me that night, and they must have seen what you did."

"That's impossible. You called them after everything happened."

"Yeah, but who's to say they weren't watching me the whole time….you don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid. I'm not paranoid and I'm not going into hiding. If they want me, they know exactly where I am. Let them come."

Sigyn stood up and walked around the table, placing one arm around Steve's shoulders and the other on the side of his head. He leaned against her body for a moment before moving away.

"Be careful, Sigyn. They can be ruthless. I'll talk to Fury and tell him to back off but I can't guarantee he will."

"Steve, don't worry. You know that no one _makes_ me do anything I do not want to do. So like I said, let them come." She kissed his forehead and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. "Thank you for warning me. I promise to be careful." She kissed him again. "I wish I could stay but Lucky is waiting for me." She looked away and blushed. "If I go to clean the gym tonight will you come with me?" He nodded. She grinned at him. "Okay, great. I'll text you later."

She kissed him one last time and headed out the door. Steve sighed, once again feeling the ache in his chest that had become synonymous with Sigyn since the return of her husband.


	30. Chapter 29

Steve and Sigyn mopped the floor, Sigyn at one end of the gym and Steve at the other. Nothing but silence hung in the air between them. They had not spoken during the walk to the gym, or during their other chores; there wasn't much they could say. Sigyn couldn't help noticing the sadness that had overcome him and therefore she could not tell him how wonderful it was to have Loki back. It went without saying that she couldn't tell him about their plans, at least not without going into detail about their true identities which she had absolutely no desire to do. Steve felt an awkward sort of lump in his throat every time he tried to speak to her, especially when he thought of the fact that her husband was at her apartment asleep in her bed waiting for her to return. His frustration manifested itself as he gripped the mop tightly in his hand and pushed it back and forth across the floor with far more force then he needed to.

She despised the silence between them as well as the fact that she had to keep him in the dark about so much of who she was. He was her friend, one of the best she'd ever had, and he deserved to know her. She wanted him to know everything but it was impossible; she refused to accept that a normal conversation with him was impossible as well.

"Did she say when the funeral was?"

She spoke suddenly and he started a bit at the sound of her voice. The way she called across the room and yet sounded calm and serene; she was impossibly charming in everything she did, even something as simple as yelling. He recovered from his shock and spoke in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes, but you shouldn't go. It won't be safe."

"Do you really think so?"

"I do. SHIELD will be there, watching, waiting, plotting. The less they see of you the better." She nodded to herself, and continued to mop. "I ordered a large flower arrangement to have sent in your name, with a card."

She smiled at the floor.

"You think of everything." He smiled too, a blush creeping across his handsome face. "Steve?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't you even a little curious about what all I can do?"

He looked up, surprised at her question and smiled at her.

"Of course I am, I just thought it would be rude to ask. I figured you wouldn't want to talk about it…"

"Nonsense, I love to do it, I just rarely have the occasion to."

She grinned a confident grin and leaned her mop against the wall. She cracked her knuckles and stretched her shoulders. Steve looked around, then back at her, his expression clouded with worry.

"Maybe you shouldn't, Sigyn. They could be watching us right now."

"Let them see. They ought to know what they are pursuing, right?"

She raised her eyebrows and took a deep breath before she began her demonstration. Steve's eyes widened as she proceeded to show him all the things she knew she could do, many of which he believed to be impossible.

"Wow." He spoke as she collapsed on the now dry floor in mock exhaustion after putting out the fire she'd started with a blast from her hand. He sat on the floor near her and looked down upon her face. She was beautiful, but especially so now as she was smiling. "I've never seen anything like you before."

"Now that is a compliment." She reached up and touched his face, caressing it gently as she continued to speak. "I'm glad you came here with me. I've missed you these past days; I'm so used to being with you every day."

"I know."

"It won't always be this way, will it?"

"What way?"

"Odd, between us."

He looked away from her eyes and shrugged. She sat up and placed her hand upon his. She held his gaze as he sheepishly met her eyes, and she looked sweetly sincere as she waited for him to answer.

"Well, it _is_ odd Sigyn. I was beginning to…at least I thought I was beginning to...feel, things… And then your husband came back, all of a sudden. And I know you never felt anything like that for me… but still…it's difficult. Maybe not difficult, but odd, like you said… odd is a good word."

Her eyes grew wide and her expression turned to a flattered and understanding half-smile as she took in his words and realized what he was trying to say. Mylo's barks sounded loudly and echoed throughout the gym as she placed her arms around Steve's neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Believe it or not, I felt it too, Captain."

"Did you?"

"Of course I did! But I didn't want to. I was under the impression that I needed to be faithful to a memory." She pulled away from him and held his hand. "But it was a good thing; because it turns out I was being faithful to much more than that."

Steve nodded his understanding and tried to make himself pull his hand away. He couldn't stand to be touched by her that way, and yet he couldn't bear to pull away from her either.

"I am glad you got him back, Doll, I hope you know that."

"Of course I do."

"I would never want to get in the way of your happiness."

"You couldn't, you are a part of my happiness now. I was miserable until I found you."

"And I was alone."

"So was I. But we're not alone anymore, are we?" Steve smiled and shook his head, the innocent look on her face, the joy and happiness, made him want to kiss her more than anything. "No matter how odd we behave when together, we will always have each other…right?"

"Absolutely Doll."

His face still had not healed completely, a fact she noticed as she looked up at him.

"This is terrible."

"It's all right, I can't feel a thing."

As she traced the cut between his eyes she remembered a race of people in one of the more intellectual realms who were capable of healing wounds through their touch. She brought to her mind all she knew of their ability, and let her hand hover over Steve's wounds. Immediately she felt a warm and comforting sensation in her fingers, and she touched the cuts and bruises on his face. It felt like magic to him and immediately the lingering pain and soreness there disappeared. He beamed down at her as she pulled her fingers away; she looked astonished at herself.

"Didn't know you could do that, did you?"

She shook her head no, taken aback by how calm and handsome he looked grinning down at her as well as the fact that she had healed him so completely. The thought that came to her made her heart stop for a moment, regret flooded her and the words left her mouth in an absent minded sort of way.

"I could have saved James..."

Her eyes left his face and wandered to nowhere in particular, a cloud of guilt came over her entire body; her face fell, her shoulders slumped, her mouth turned down.

"No," he held her face in his hands and her eyes met his again, she waited for him to go on "when it's our time to go, it's our time to go, and there's no magic or power anywhere that can change that. The only ones to blame for what happened to James are those thugs we took out. You saved countless lives, including mine, and you gave James a chance to get to safety and comfort in his last moments. You did that. Understand?"

She nodded. He had done it again, made her see reason, put her in her place, and made complete sense out of a situation she was otherwise unable to understand. She sat up and placed her arms around his neck. Her head rested on his shoulder, his hands lightly held her back, he dared not hold her too tightly. She breathed in and found that he smelled clean and somewhat sweet. She was comforted by it, and suddenly a little sleepy in his arms. Her eyes closed, Steve felt her body relax against his, it pressed against him, which caused reactions in his body that were involuntary and completely inappropriate to have towards a happily married woman. He quickly grabbed her shoulders and forced her away, she looked confused and bit her lip as he held her there, staring at her for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"It's getting late. We should go."

"But the floor isn't finished."

"It's good enough."

They returned the cleaning supplies to the closet and closed up the building. Their walk home was as silent as the walk to the gym, but far less odd. Sigyn held his hand in hers all the way home, and Steve wore a permanent smile because of the gesture in spite of himself.

* * *

Loki sprawled across the couch and resisted the urge to scream at the pain he felt. She was once again nowhere to be found, but this time it was the middle of the night. The dog was gone as well, but Loki had not the energy to see through its eyes. This was becoming unbearable. It subsided when she was near but when she was not he could hardly see.

He wanted to writhe and thrash, but knew the council and The Other were probably watching his every move. He would never give them the satisfaction of seeing him succumb to the pain. Their efforts were futile, Loki knew all he had to do was get back to Asgard; Hugo could remove this nuisance in his neck with ease. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He heard the door open and close.

"Thanks again, Steve. Good night."

She spoke softly but did not quite whisper. He could hear the happiness in her voice. He heard the loyal little dog growl at the human. He appreciated the puppy. Sigyn closed the door and walked through the living room on tiptoe. Loki watched her, ignoring his pain as best he could. He cleared his throat just as she turned the glass doorknob to enter the bedroom; she nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around slowly as he sat up on his elbow on the couch.

"Imagine my surprise, to wake in the dead of night and find you gone…with the dog. I thought for a moment I was in one of those pathetic mortal songs."

"They call that country music."

"Oh do they? How quaint." She looked sheepishly at him, wondering if he was mad. He looked tired and somehow sweet. "Woman?"

She continued to look at him and smiled a little, he seemed vulnerable.

"Yes."

"Could you not leave like that again? Please."

"I had to go to work, Loki."

"You don't have to work anymore."

"I like working, and my boss needs me: I cannot simply abandon my duties there."

"Then I will go with you next time. I can't bear to be away from you, and I certainly don't want to wake up and find you gone in the night. Come here."

She walked over to the couch, he moved back and she lay next to him, facing him. He looked directly into her eyes as he reached down to remove her shoes, and then unbuttoned her pants as he kissed her. He felt normal as she brought her lips to his, and even the memory of his pain subsided as her hand made its way into his hair.

"I'm sorry; I didn't think you would notice that I was gone."

He removed her pants and pulled off the cardigan she wore; he reached under her t-shirt and undid her bra, removing it without removing her shirt. He held her close to him by the small of her back; she rested her hands on his chest and looked up at him.

"Of course I did."

"Don't you want to go to bed?"

"I like it here."

He sighed and closed his eyes. She wondered why he seemed so exhausted all the time. She looked into his face as he laid with his eyes closed. She shifted a bit and sat up, his eyes opened suddenly. She caught a glimpse of fear in them before he could hide it, she grabbed his face and he looked at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise and confusion. She had suspected that something was amiss before, now she was certain. Fear was not an emotion Loki knew, he wasn't afraid of anything, yet there it was in his eyes.

"What is going on?"

She demanded, lifting his chin and forcing his eyes to hers. He squinted at her.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Something is not right with you. What is it?" She pleaded with her eyes, he thought about telling her everything. "I will help you, just tell me."

"I'm fine. Stop this."

He held her hand and pushed it away. She pulled away from his grasp and pushed him as hard as she could into the back of the couch. He pinned her arms behind her, she rolled onto her back and tried to wriggle free, he laid on top of her, she rolled again and they both fell off of the couch onto the floor. Loki laughed; Sigyn bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from joining him. He pulled her on top of him and sat up, burying his face in her neck and lavishing it with kisses, licks and bites. She pushed him away.

"Stop IT!" She said her tone serious and a bit hurt. "Don't touch me again until you can tell me what is wrong with you."

"That's impossible."

He watched his hands travel down the fabric of her t-shirt and to her thighs. He began to pull her underwear down; she dug her nails into his hands.

"Stop It." Her teeth were gritted and she looked more than angry or furious: She was livid. "I Mean It. If you can't be honest with me, then I don't want you."

She let go of his hands, he looked into her eyes.

"Liar."

She tried to stand up, he pushed her back onto his lap.

"If you think I'll let you have me when I know you're hiding something from me, you are sadly mistaken."

"I'm in pain because of the remnants of a device the Chitauri implanted in me." He led her hand to the scar behind his ear. "They sought to keep track of me, to control me. I removed it, but a piece of it broke and is lodged too deeply in my neck to be retrieved. It pains me every now and then."

Her brow furrowed and she looked confused; she was shocked at his sudden confession but more so at the fact that he actually told her.

"All I have to do is refuse to sleep with you and you'll tell me everything?"

"It is a strange and impressive power you have Love; use it well."

"There's more…"

"There is nothing more Woman; I apologize if I've bored you." He kissed her lips, softly. "When you touch me, I cannot feel the pain."

Her face and her resolve softened the moment the words were out of his mouth. She pressed her lips ardently against his and pulled her entire body as close to his as she could. As she led his hand down her body she whispered her love and what she wanted from him into his ear. He was shocked at her boldness, but touched her just as she asked him to. She kissed him again; he abruptly pulled away from her and placed both of his hands on her thighs. He was quiet and attempted to catch his breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to say thank you, for your loyalty, because it isn't easy to be with me is it?"

"It's not very hard, it's exciting! Besides, you're very handsome, that makes up for the bad things."

"Don't do that, don't flirt and make fun of me when I'm being honest with you."

"Well forgive me, I hadn't noticed. That is a rather new inclination in you."

"Fine then, forget I said anything."

"I'm sorry my Loki. I will listen to you tell me how wonderful I am. Speak."

"No, really, never mind. Suddenly I don't feel that way anymore."

She laughed and pressed her lips against his, holding his neck as he looked up at her, he looked a little better than he had before, but still tired.

"Is it easy for you to be with me?"

He nodded and she smiled down at him. In the light of the street lamps that glowed through the window they could see each other's faces clearly, and as she once again brought her lips to his she thought of all the time they had shared since they were married and all the things that had happened between them. Some outside force or being was always the cause of any real problem they had, when they were alone together like this things were calm, perfect, easy.

"I just wanted you to know that I am grateful to you. You've always been there for me and I could always depend on you. I still do. And you stay with me even though you really could have anyone else and even when I make things…

"Interesting?"

She volunteered as she saw him struggle for a word to describe his antics. He grinned up at her.

"Interesting to say the least. Anyone else would have left me in the garden after I tricked them into marrying me…or when they found out what I did to their betrothed, or when they found out that I was a frost giant, or when-"

"Or when you berated them in a tower and accused them of reading your thoughts, or when they found out you had been sleeping with their whorish older sister for quite some time, or when you got jealous of their ability to best you in sorcery so you rearranged all the labels on their books and potion ingredients….the list goes on and on. You've always been horrible, long before we were married."

"She told you about that!"

"Of course she did, she told everyone who would listen."

"But you never said anything."

"I never said anything about anyone you slept with. It wasn't my business. And it was long over by the time I realized I wanted you, otherwise I might have had to kill her, Sister or not."

"Still, it seems wrong that I did that. I feel strange about it."

"Oh, you feel guilty… you're sorry!" She said, surprised and a bit happy that he was genuinely upset about sleeping with Lofn. "But you shouldn't be. I'm fine with it….I think I won in the end. All she will ever have is a memory, and even that will be fuzzy and muddled with the memory of all the other men she's been with."

He was impressed with her rationale and the indifference in her tone about her sister. He wanted to change the subject; guilt did not agree with him.

"Anyway, thank you Sigyn. I love you."

"You should not thank me, I am here because I have no choice. I'm yours forever; there is no one else for me. I love you."

His kiss upon her lips was sweet and simple, and as her fingers brushed against the raised scar behind his ear she remembered her new found capability and pulled suddenly away from him. She held either sides of his face and looked down at his confused expression. His eyebrows raised in annoyance as he wondered why she had broken their kiss.

"What is it?"

He asked, before feeling a warm and comforting tingle in the area where the wound had been. It felt better and more relaxed than it had in ages, a feeling which lingered there even after she removed her fingers. The lump the scar had left was still there, as was the scar, a fact which Sigyn frowned to see as she leaned to look at the wound.

"It didn't work…"

She pouted and rested her forehead against his.

"It did, the pain is gone."

"But the wound is still there, it should be gone as well."

He shrugged.

"Perhaps only the scar lingers, I know not, I care not." He brought his lips to hers as he continued to speak. "You've healed me." She smiled as she slid her tongue into his mouth, his hands traveled her body and he was aroused more and more as he thought of what she'd done for him. As he began to realize what happened he stopped moving his tongue, his mouth hung open a bit and he slowly pulled back from her kiss. "Woman!"

"Yes, Lover."

He pushed her back by her shoulders and held them, now she looked annoyed.

"You just did magic!"

"Not magic, Loki, appropriation."

He recovered from his surprise at her words and spoke again

"Either way, I thought you were powerless."

"Me, powerless? That's impossible."

"You know what I mean."

"I am somehow still able to appropriate. I know not why."

He was too astonished to form any more questions to ask, all he really felt about the fact that she could still appropriate was thrilled. Thrilled and excited.

"I love everything about you." He declared as he wrapped his arms around her body and laid her back on the hardwood floor. "You're perfect."

She woke up the next morning on the floor of the living room with Loki's naked body on the floor next to her, his arms wrapped around her waist as he spooned her. She smiled as she remembered what they had done and why they had never quite made it to the bed. Her shirt had been thrown somewhere across the room, her underwear somewhere else. She turned over in his arms and pulled the throw off the couch to cover them both. She pushed a few loose strands of his hair out of his face and looked at him again. He looked himself again, as content as he had while he rested on his first night there. Her smile slowly faded. She was still unsure of how thoroughly she had healed him. She knew the Chitauri could not control him, no one could; he was too cunning to ever be manipulated. Still she wrapped her arms tighter around him and held him closer, resisting the urge to pull her legs around him as well. It was an involuntary reaction to her concern for his well being, she could keep him safe if she could keep him close, as she fell back to sleep she was relieved to know that she could keep the pain away too.

* * *

"The Asgardian ignores the pain."

"The pain subsides due to the woman's love."

"She is still rather powerful, though she is mortal."

"She has no idea how powerful, though."

"He will not leave her side voluntarily."

"Never."

The Other paced the cliff and felt the orb he held in his hand burn white hot. He looked into it, trying not to look too terrified as he did so. Thanos' displeasure was written all over his face.

"Tell me, you imbecile, that you have not lost the prince after all the progress he made in finding the cube."

The Other flinched at the tone of Thanos' voice, although he did not yell or even speak very loudly. His seeming calm was somehow more terrifying than his outright rage.

"He is strong willed and stubborn. He will not yield to our wishes."

"He Will Not Yield To Your Wishes." Said Thanos, in a matter of fact tone, as he locked eyes with the creature he despised. "He will yield to mine. Or he will die trying. He will return to Chitauri and you will break him as you should have from the moment he landed. He is my servant, not your ally, not my equal. He is a means to an end, the most effective means to that end we have ever known, and he will yield."

"He removed the device, we cannot call him back."

"Cripple him."

"We have."

"You've been aggravating him. I said cripple him. Make him unable to touch the woman he loves, make him unable to bear touching her…that is a pain more excruciating than any in the universe. He will break."

"But how can we do that?"

"If I am to do everything myself, what is to keep me from destroying your miserable planet this very instant?"

"Please, I simply need instruction; I will carry out the task."

"You have not been using the device to its full potential. Listen and I will tell you exactly how to get the prince back."

* * *

Heimdall stood upon the still broken Bifrost as the architects of Asgard worked tirelessly to repair it and rebuild the portal. They had come very far, and had not much farther to go. He stood stoic and serious as ever, watching and listening to the realms.

His mind swept across Midgard, his eyes saw all, heard all, but stopped upon something curious and yet familiar. The head of the princess lay contented upon the chest of the prince. Heimdall questioned his sight for the first time in his existence. He wondered if his emotions, subdued as they were, had gotten the best of him; if he now saw what he wished to see.

He of course remembered Loki's crimes, but in that moment the sight of the fallen prince alive and well in the arms of his wife was all he could see, and he was happy to see it. He lingered on them until he was persuaded that what he saw was real and he was not mistaken. He smiled the smallest of smiles to himself as he continued to scan the planets and realms of the galaxy. The contentment upon the faces of the deities was absolute and so he decided not to disturb their reunion and to allow them to remain undisturbed in their bliss. He saw no reason for anyone else to know of their reunion, yet.

* * *

"And where have you been all morning?"

She asked smiling up at him as he opened the door to the bedroom and glanced over at her. The idea of him wandering the Midgardian streets without her was amusing until she thought of the mortal women and their uninhibited natures; her mood quickly changed. He removed his jacket and laid it across the dresser, he slid out of his boots and made his way over to the bed, all very quietly, all without a word to acknowledge let alone answer her question.

She had showered and dressed in the time he was gone, though she had simply changed into another nightgown and laid back in the bed. Her sadness over the idea of James' funeral had made her feel like hiding beneath the covers, seeing Loki come through the door had raised her spirits considerably. He sat at her side and looked down on her, as she gazed happily up at him. He had good news to relay for a change or at least he hoped she would see it that way. The look on his face was familiar, the way he had always looked when he was mulling things over, and not quite ready to share his plans with anyone else. She raised her eyebrows and settled deeper into the pillows; she knew this could take a while.  
"Well, at least tell me if something is wrong or not?"

He shook his head and pushed her hair out of her face and behind her ear. Her hands rested on the bed near her sides, she wanted him to speak but did not want him to feel pressured.

"Nothing's wrong, quite the opposite really, I think I've found a way for us to get home...well, back to Asgard anyway….it's been with me all along."

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small oddly shaped device, she sat up a bit and looked at it, taking it gingerly into her own hands as she examined the intricately built device. Loki was surprised to hear her speak before he could.

"An expulsatory navigator...it looks Titan in design, and seems to be powered by cube energy."

She turned it over and over in her hands, while he stared at her. His mouth hung open and he could hardly contain his awe at her brilliance, the unbelievable intelligence she possessed. She looked up at him, rather suddenly, and was unphased by the look on his face.  
"Where did you get this from? It's amazing."

"The Chitauri."

"This is certainly of Titan origin, Thanos must have given it to them...did what you took out of your neck look similar to this?"

He shook his head slowly and shrugged.

"It was small. It doesn't matter. How do you know of cube energy and Titan technological design?"

"Because I paid attention to Hugo when he spoke, rather than relying on tricks to make it appear that I was listening...and I did my lessons after class, and I studied."

"But we were always together."

"I made time for both you and my studies...that is neither here nor there. The energy of a cosmic cube is infinite and its capabilities various. Their power can be harnessed to do almost anything." She met his eyes and frowned a bit, her worry showing. "And their energy effects every living being it touches in different ways. If a piece of its energy is lodged inside of you that could prove disastrous."

"It can be removed, love, fret not. All it will take are more skilled hands than mine."

He kissed her forehead, she closed her eyes as his lips lingered there for a moment. She looked at him as he pulled away. She still looked concerned. He beamed at her in spite of it, he found it funny that she had told him more useful information about the cube in a few sentences than he had found on many trips to planets in realms and galaxies all across the universe. She further cemented herself in his mind as the most impressive and fascinating thing he would ever know.

"How can you smile at a time like this?"

"You've impressed me Woman."

"Wonderful. Now, how do you propose to use this to get us to Asgard."

"This can take us anywhere."

"Not to Asgard, Lover." Sigyn smiled at the confused look on his face. " The enchantments…the ones designed to guard the realm against invasions, the ones that make teleportation into Asgard impossible."

"Of course." He flopped back across the bed and covered his face with his hands. " The enchantments, how the hel did I forget those?"

"The only way into Asgard is through the portal, which was destroyed...it will surely be rebuilt, but of course then we will need Heimdall's aid in opening it."

"I have ways of getting around that. I snuck the frost giants in without him knowing, I know I can do it again."

"What do you mean you-"

He waved his hand to stop her from speaking, she decided to let it go; there were bigger things at hand.

"I'll handle everything, Love." He repositioned himself and kissed her, laying her back into the pillows as he did so. "I need you back to your old self."

"Is that so?"

He nodded and kissed her again, thinking of all the reasons why as she began to undress him.

* * *

Thanos floated through space and time and yet looked bored as he sat upon his makeshift throne which propelled through the universe like a ship built for one. He had been a melancholy being since birth, and his morbid obsession with death was simply a fact of life. But it was not until he saw her, in all her dark and shadowy glory, with her irresistible and devastating aura that he knew he adored her. Love was not a strong enough word. He worshipped Death with the fervor and attentiveness she deserved. She provoked fear and dread in the hearts of every other being, yet Thanos spent his days and nights courting her. His quest for power and dominance of the universe was simply an attempt to impress her, to prove himself worthy of her opulence. He would have her, he would not accept anything less than her love and admiration in equal measure to that which he held for her, and the only way to achieve that was with the energy of his cosmic cube. The Asgardian had to be brought back to Chitauri and made to see reason. Thanos called to The Other, his impatience beginning to show. He did not wish to go to the Asgardian directly and tip his hand, but he would have no other choice if the Chitauri could not manage the task for him.

The Other answered his call and bowed deeply at the sight of Thanos, who rolled his eyes at the idiotic gesture.

"Spare me the formalities you imbecile. What of the Prince?"

"The goddess…."

"What about her?"

"She has healed him, some how. She is more powerful than we previously believed her to be, and she has rendered the device utterly useless."

"Impossible."

"She has, Great One. We can no longer call to him, no longer inflict him with any sort of pain."

Thanos clutched the orb in his hand and let out a loud and frustrated snarl. His patience with these beings had run its course. And this goddess, how could she render a device powered by the energy of the tesseract useless.. It was not possible.

"YOU WILL DO EXACTLY AS I SAY. YOU WILL BRING THE PRINCE BACK TO CHITAURI AND GET HIM TO YEILD TO MY WISHES. IF HIS BITCH OF A WIFE GETS IN THE WAY OF THAT YOU WILL KILL HER. YOU HAVE ONE DAY TO BRING HIM BACK TO CHITAURI, OR I WILL ANNIHILATE THE PLANET AND DO IT MYSELF. I MAKE NO IDLE THREATS, OTHER, YOU KNOW THAT WELL."

"Yes, Great One. We will return him here at once. Fear not."

* * *

**A/N: A new chapter goes up tomorrow night, and its pretty eventful. Thank you all for reading, and waiting for new chapters. The wait between them won't be as long as they have been. Comments help me write better by the way so let me know what you think. **


	31. Chapter 30

His eyes opened and the morning rays gleamed in them. Sigyn was fast asleep beside him, as usual. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, smiling to himself. The absence of the pain was a source of elation for him as was the fact that his wife had maintained her most extraordinary ability. He felt completely himself again and so now he was a bit restless, a little stir crazy. He found that he wanted to wander the city streets hand in hand with Sigyn and maybe get into a little bit of trouble. He squeezed her side, she rolled away from him, he trailed kisses across her back and shoulders and slid his hands across her belly. She sighed as she woke.

"What is it?"

"Take me out again."

"Loki, I really don't feel like going out."

"Please?"

She lifted up and looked back at him. His eyes suddenly became two big green saucers of innocence and sweetness. She made the mistake of looking right into them. She accepted her defeat as she rolled onto her back and hugged his shoulders.

"All right, my Loki, where to?"

* * *

The Other took in all that the council had to show him, and quickly formulated a plan. To execute Thanos' wishes he had to move with haste, neutralize every possible obstacle to retrieving the prince and then remove all possibility of the prince exerting his own will or returning to Earth of his own accord. First he had to reclaim him, and clearly the only way to do this was to put the goddess in danger, and since she was now mortal that would be easy enough.

The Chitauri, over the course of their attempts to subjugate the Earth, had mastered the art of replicating the human form, and so the other and four of his soldiers were able to assume the visage of the earthlings and travel to the apartment building, materializing with in the hall with great ease due to the Titan technology at their disposal.

He knocked firmly on the door and got no answer. He used his device to let himself in. The apartment was dark as the sun began to set outside of it. He knew he was in the right place: he could smell the Asgardian. He ordered his soldiers to hide themselves well, stood in the darkest corner of the kitchen and waited.

They returned soon after the arrival of the Chitauri, laughing and their arms full of bags and toys. They had played every game, ridden every ride and tasted all the food Coney Island had to offer, and Loki was bent on going back to do it again the next day.

"Roller coasters are the greatest achievement of mankind." Sigyn shrugged and nodded her agreement. "I have never seen so many genuinely terrified faces at once…It was pretty great."

"I thought you'd enjoy that."

"I liked the games as well."

"I find them annoying, I know their rigged…Yet somehow you won me every prize they had. Did you cheat?"

"Do you honestly think I need to cheat to win at _mortal_ games?"

"I suppose not, and anyway I love my prizes, Loki, thank y-"

Her words stopped suddenly as Loki noticed a figure lurking in the corner of the now completely dark kitchen and grabbed her arm, moving her behind him. He used his magic to turn the lights on; she immediately took in the five men that lurked here and there throughout the apartment.

"Run!"

They turned to each other and yelled the command, then exchanged puzzled glances before springing into action. Sigyn used her powers to halt the four men who advanced upon them, but her best efforts seemed only to stall them rather than stop them as she had hoped. Loki concentrated his efforts on the one who stood in the kitchen. His magic seemed to have no effect on the man whatsoever. He was baffled; Sigyn's concentration broke as she looked next to her. How could these men be impervious to both of their magic?

" The bracelets."

Loki whispered as they stood side by side. Sigyn looked to their wrists and noticed the bracelets they wore, shining thin bands of silvery white liquid. Loki shrugged and conjured daggers, throwing them expertly and felling two of the men. The other two stopped in their tracks as Loki moved to make two more daggers appear out of thin air. Sigyn trapped them where they stood by setting the floor all around them ablaze as a proud and relieved smile crossed her husband's face. As he prepared to kill them with his weapons, The Other's desperation piqued. He lunged forward, grabbed Sigyn by the neck and drug her across the room in one swift motion before she or Loki could act to stop him. A tiny syringe was shoved into her wrist and an oddly shaped blade was curved perfectly around her neck, a simple flick of The Other's wrist would be enough to decapitate her. The fire that encircled the soldiers went out and Loki stopped in mid stride; he ceased his efforts to cast a spell and let his daggers fall. He froze where he stood and lifted his arms up in earnest surrender. Mylo leapt to his feet and in moments dug his teeth into the calf of The Other, who howled in protest. A soldier moved quickly to pry the dogs jaws apart. Mylo's brave barks quickly turned to a whimper, and then he made no noise. A sickening crunch sounded as the soldier crushed his skull. Sigyn gasped in shock and horror as the dog's lifeless body fell to the floor. The Other returned to his natural form and grinned his hideous grin, Sigyn hardly noticed the difference as she stared at Loki in disbelief and spoke to him.

"What are you doing? Loki, what are you doing?!" She asked him, wriggling in the Other's grasp. "Loki, Just Go! He cannot harm me."

"Be wise Asgardian for we both know that is untrue."

"Let her go and I will do whatever you ask of me."

" I have a hard time trusting in your word. I think this is desperation you speak out of now, I need you to speak out of fear."

He dug the blade of the sword into her neck, she flinched, Loki dropped to his knees.

"I understand! I will go back with you and fulfill the task just _Don't Kill Her_. Please! Don't hurt her!"

"Loki!"

Even as the blood trickled down her neck she struggled defiantly against The Others grasp, still trying to use her powers against him. She should have been able at the very least to break free of his hold. She was baffled that she could do nothing, and astonished at Loki's quick and utter surrender.

" She does not realize how hopeless the situation is, or how beaten you both are. I can see why you love her so. She is lively, passionate." The rough and reptilian tongue of the creature licked a bit of the blood from her neck, she scowled in disgust. "She tastes as sweet as she smells."

The rage in Loki was obvious, his body shook with it, Sigyn wished he would give in to it, even if it did cost her her life. He locked eyes with The Other as his two remaining henchman seized him. she spoke.

"You are a vile and hideous monstrosity, and you stink." She felt the blade dig deeper into her neck, her resolve strengthened despite the pain. She trained her eyes on Loki, as the soldiers stood on either side of him. "Loki please, I would _rather_ die than have you give in to this...thing. Do not let him use me this way! Do not let him make you bend to his will, not even for me." His eyes focused on the floor as he tried not to hear her. She continued. "Listen to me! Death Would Be Better Than That, I would prefer it!"

"Be quiet Sigyn."

"Loki Get Up and Fight Back!"

She demanded as The Other pressed his blade a little harder into her throat. She did not relent.

"Sigyn please."

"Do not use me as an excuse to be a coward!"

"She does not believe that I will kill her, but you know better." He tightened his grip on her and roughly shook her wrist, the syringe fell to the floor, suddenly Sigyn felt her knees go weak. "Shall we go now Asgardian?"

Loki allowed the two Chitauri who stood behind him to lift him to his feet. They held him tightly as they bound his hands behind his back with shackles that glowed as silvery white as their bracelets and grasped him by his arms. The Other let go of Sigyn, pushing her roughly to the ground where she fell into a heap, blood now pouring from her neck, her body weak and suddenly feeling very heavy. Still she tried and failed to work her appropriation. She gave up and began to drag herself across, the floor towards where Loki stood. The Other smirked at the gesture and as she inched her way he kicked her hard in the face with his boot. Loki broke free of the soldiers hold, but found the bonds on his hands unbreakable, that they weakened him. and of course robbed him of his ability to perform magic. He accepted these things and kneeled at her side. She slowly raised herself up and held his face in her hands. He was proud to see that she did not cry, not a single tear grazed her face. She locked eyes with him and quickly brought her lips to his. As the soldiers tried to pry them apart they were amazed at the woman's strength despite what she had suffered. She gripped the fabric of his shirt for dear life.

"Why let them take you?" Her voice sounded as strong as ever as she reprimanded him. "You could have stopped them! You could be free right now!"

"It would mean nothing if he killed you. I love you. They will not kill me; they need me too much to harm me." He nuzzled her neck and whispered into her ear. "Don't be afraid. I can promise you that I will return. You can be certain of it. Remember the answer was with me all along."

"But it was not the answer."

"This time it is."

In the moment with his voice in her ear and the warmth of his breathing and the brush of his lips against her skin she could not help but be comforted, she nodded her understanding, though she did not understand at all. She continued to grip his shirt and kissed him passionately.

"But I don't want you to go."

His eyes narrowed and he looked devastated as a final pull and a push from The Other yanked them apart. As Sigyn fell forward onto her hands her blood dripped onto the floor, she hardly had time to notice it before The Other began to kick her again, this time over and over in the head and stomach as she laid helpless on the ground. The soldiers held Loki In his weakened and powerless state though he made a noble effort o break free again. The other seemed to enjoy hurting the goddess, for when he tired of kicking her he began o beat her with the blunt end of his sword. Loki's struggle against the guards intensified, but to no avail.

"You will have to kill me, Other, do you hear me? You cannot keep me bound forever and I will not forgive this! I will never forgive this!"

His fury was obvious in the tone of his voice, The Other tried to look unphased as he continued to cast blow after blow to the head of a now still Sigyn who laid in the fetal position on the floor and did not move at all.

"If you kill her, do what you will to me but I will not yield to your wishes. Without her I have no reason to."

"So you accept my terms; you do as I say or I kill the girl?"

"Yes."

"That I can live with, and fret not, her wounds will heal soon enough. Now we must away to Chitauri."

As they disappeared from the room, Loki looked at her still form for a last time. Bloody, beaten, broken, and still beautiful and regal as ever. He needed to remember her that way.

* * *

She awoke covered in her own blood, her head light and dizzy, her body racked with pain as she realized suddenly that she had not been dreaming. She crawled across the apartment and managed to bandage the wound at her neck with a scarf. She leaned against her closet door and tried to process what happened. In the dark she could let her tears fall without shame yet they did not come. She looked around her in disbelief. It was impossible to comprehend what had happened, that she could so suddenly have lost him once again. It felt again as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Just like before.

Yet somehow it was nothing like before. She knew he was alive. She knew where he was being taken and by whom. She was not up against an unchangeable fact or powerless or helpless as she had been before She was not anywhere near as devastated as she had been to think he was dead. She had never felt this level of rage before not even in the aftermath of Odin's choice for the baby. She had never been beaten before, or helpless. Her body felt warm despite its pain, and though her head throbbed her mind was focused. She could not recall much of anything other than the sensation of having him ripped out of her arms. She sat on the floor and closed her eyes tightly, memorizing the sound of the last words he'd said to her.

"I will return."

She knew it was so, he told her to be certain of it. He spoke of the answer, she supposed he meant the expulsatory navigator. Her eyes darted to the dresser where it had laid that morning, now it was gone. She almost smiled, it was just like him to lelave her with a riddle in at a time like this. She felt a surge of energy and lifted herself from the floor despite the pain. Her body ached, was sore, felt battered and weak. She ignored the pain. Her wrist felt numb in the area of where the syringe had pricked her. She felt nothing as far as it was concerned. Her head felt like it had been run over by a truck. She thought nothing of it. She made her way into the bathroom, leaned against the sink and carefully removed the blood soaked scarf from her neck. She cleaned the wound, barely flinching at the sting of the hot water and later the alcohol against it. It was a long and ugly gash that curved around her neck, she hardly saw it. She got the dried blood off and stopped the new bleeding by packing the wound with cotton balls she tore apart. Even in this she was only going through the motions, her hands moved of their own volition and went about their business despite the fact that she was concentrating on something else entirely. She was single-minded.

Where she could go to develop her skills and keep an eye on the Chitauri as well was a question with a simple answer; Asgard. She would find all the help she needed there, reluctant as she was to ask her god father for help, she knew the most powerful being in the universe would do anything to save his son.

Then she thought of the rest of his words, the fact that he promised to come back to her and reassured her that they would not kill him. Perhaps starting an intergalactic interspecies war was not the wisest thing to do. She needed to think with a cool head, and give Loki the time to work whatever plan he had hatched. He had never failed her before. Still she was not content to sit idly by and wait.

She needed to ensure that the next time someone came to attack her no bracelet or substance or any other force in the universe could stop her from defending herself. Deeply in thought she walked through the living room and glanced into the kitchen, seeing her lifeless dog on the floor for the first time.

Her concentration broke, as did her heart once again. She kneeled next to him, flinching at the sight of his now deformed head. She had no idea how to properly dispose of his body. She felt a few warm tears trickle down her face. Mylo had died trying to save her, he had protected her from dangers real and perceived since he came into her life. She ran a hand lovingly over his soft black fur one last time. He had been her closest thing to family on earth, she had cared for him and he had loved her in return.

She lifted his still body carefully and carried it to his bed before covering him in the throw from her bed which he had always liked to lay upon. She tried to think of where she could bury him, and then reasoned that his favorite place was the park. She would need help getting him there. She rushed back over to the counter and texted Steve, grateful that she could go to him without having to explain what had happened.  
_  
Steve, I need your help with something. Are you awake?_

She waited for his response, her eyes wandering back to the syringe. There was something familiar about that white substance, she had seen it before on Asgard.

_What is it?_

_Mylo's dead. I need help to bury him._

_I'll be right there._

She was relieved that he was coming; it made her feel safe to know he would be near. Her focus returned as she put down her phone and lifted the syringe. This was undoubtedly what had robbed her of her powers, but she remembered the substance having a far different capability on Asgard. It reminded her of something she'd seen in the room of the healing houses. She wasn't sure that it mattered and pushed it out of her mind; she looked at Mylo's lifeless body again and frowned. Everything was a blur, the night wore on and she felt her strength return as she ignored the growl in her stomach and the bags and prizes that now littered the floor. The knock at the door made her jump. It was louder and more forceful than Steve's usual knock.

"I'm so glad you're here."

She swung the door open and came face to face with a blond haired man, not at all Steve, dressed in a SHIELD uniform and wearing dark shades even though it was night.

"Said every woman I've ever met in my life." He strolled past her into the apartment as though he belonged there and looked around. "What the hell happened in here?"

She stared at him in disbelief, completely taken aback at his boldness and intrusion into her apartment. She noticed the weapons at his waist, the crossbow that hung at his back. He lifted a hand to the ear piece he wore; Sigyn mistook it for a gesture of attack. She quickly sprung into action within moments the man was upside down in midair and hovering, his eyes wide in surprise as a smile spread across his face.

"Who are you?"

She demanded, relieved to see her powers had returned.

"Barton, Agent Clint Barton. And it's good to know I'm in the right place. Hill didn't exaggerate about you at all, did she? No, you are every bit as beautiful as she said…HEY!"

His bow and arrows fell to the floor and Sigyn quickly called them to her. She locked eyes with the agent and immediately lined the bow with the arrow and aimed it directly at him. She suddenly saw with eyes focused and able to see the minutia of things even from a distance.

"Why did I never study archery, I wonder…."

"PUT THAT DOWN RIGHT NOW!"  
"Shut up or I'll put you down…right on your neck."

He gulped and raised his hands to signal that he gave up. Sigyn grinned and thought it would be fun to make him rotate in mid air.

"Very funny, lady."

He turned slowly around and around, as Sigyn continued to aim the arrow. The v shape his legs made in the air gave a perfect view to a small crack in the wall behind him. She let the arrow fly, it grazed his leg as it went straight through to the other wall. She smiled to herself, he looked at it as he continued to spin, then grinned at her.

"You're a hell of a shot. I might not have been able to hit that."

She looked at him, took pity on him, turned him right side up and gently brought him back to the floor. She looked sheepishly at the ground as she handed him back his bow and arrow.

"I apologize for that. You cannot imagine the night I've had."

He nodded his understanding. She gestured to a chair for him to sit. He shook his head.

"We don't have a lot of time; Hill's waiting for you downstairs. I'll take care of the dog for you." Her eyes narrowed on him, he grabbed her hand before she could subdue him again. "I'm sorry. Some parts of the job are less decent than others."

"Where's Steve?"

She snarled, the agent quickly reassured her.

"He's fine. We cloned his cell phone; he never got your messages. We didn't hurt him, he doesn't know a thing. Listen lady… You seem to be on edge, spiraling. Your life is literally a mess." He gestured around them, Sigyn's eyes followed his hand. "Go for a ride with Hill. Listen to her, and see if you can't take back a little bit of control, okay? It doesn't look like it could make things any worse."

He looked sincere, his advice was sound and she couldn't help but hear his words. She looked him in the eye and nodded.

"Be careful with my dog."

"Be careful with my boss."

She smiled at him before she could stop herself.

"I just need a minute to clean up." She gestured to her clothes as she crossed the room. Five minutes later her clothes were changed and the nasty wound at her neck was healed enough so that only a scar remained. The swelling and bruises to her face had disappeared too, but Agent Barton noticed the sadness and anger that still clouded her face. "I'm ready."

"Barton to Hill, 'the precious' is on her way down."

Sigyn descended the stairs of her building and climbed into the open door of the non-descript SHIELD vehicle that sat at the curb. It pulled off immediately after she closed the door. Maria Hill sat across from her, a slight smile on her face.

"I wasn't sure you would come."

"Any other night I would not have."

"Well then I guess this is my lucky night. You however look like you've been through hell."

"I do not want to talk about it."

"Fair enough. You'll find that at SHIELD we don't pry."

"The idea that an espionage agency does not pry is absolutely ludicrous. Not to mention the fact that you have pried into my personal life not to mention poor Steve's, in fact prying is precisely how you lured me here tonight. I came to listen to what you have to say, Maria Hill, but please do not insult my intelligence."

Maria nodded her consent and took a minute to rethink her approach. She was not often caught off guard by others; she realized that Sigyn would be one of few who could really challenge her.

"You're right; perhaps I meant to say that we can be understanding." She looked Sigyn eye to eye. "You seem to be a pretty straightforward person so I'll cut right to the chase. Director Fury is aware of what you can do, and would like to make you a SHIELD agent. I would be privileged to train you myself. In all honesty you are capable of things I thought were impossible, and I believe you could be the finest agent the organization has ever seen. What do you say?"

"I cannot say yet. I know nothing of your work or your purpose or your intent with me. I need to see for myself what SHIELD truly is before I can make a decision."

"You have no idea how badly I was hoping you would say that." Maria Hill beamed at her as she spoke into her headpiece. "This is Hill, prepare the heli-carrier for landing on the Hudson river in thirty-five minutes, I repeat, I expect to be able to board the heli-carrier at 0235 on the Hudson river, Midtown, New York, New York."


	32. Chapter 31

Odin sat upon his throne and looked down upon Thor. He was obviously exasperated, his patience had run out.

"I have had enough of this. You will do what is demanded of you, you will fulfill your destiny. The lives of the people are at stake."

"I do not refuse-"

"The Bifrost is nearly rebuilt and you will be crowned king as soon as it is finished, as we agreed."

"But Father…I cannot assume the throne, I am not ready, my grief has yet to subside."

"Foolish youth," he said, his gaze softening as he looked at the despair upon his remaining son's face, "the pain you feel at the loss of your brother will never subside. It will simply become a part of you, another fact of your being."

"I am nowhere near able to accept that I will never see my brother again. That I will never hear his laughter, rare as it was, or watch him ride with me into battle. I will never see the child he and Sigyn so desperately wanted to have, the child that would have merged the two greatest families in Asgard, the child of Odinsonn and Iwaldi…I cannot accept it."

Odin spoke quickly, not wanting to dwell on the subject of Loki and Sigyn's child.

"You Must, Thor. We are royalty; we have not the luxury of time to wallow in our own needs and feelings. We have a realm to consider."

"The realm has a king."

Thor's own exasperation began to show as he pleaded with his father to understand. He made a distinct effort not to raise his voice.

"Yes, but for how long? I cannot go on forever. It was never meant to be that way. I have a right to take my place in Valhalla at some point, amongst the other great kings."

"You have no intention of transcending any time soon….Do you?"

"Of course not. But I am weary, Thor. I am old, as you have told me many times before. I am even older than you believe me to be. I need rest, not sleep." He held up a hand to silence Thor, stood from his seat on the throne and then descended the stairs. Thor watched him as he approached. "You are ready, Thor. I am sure of it. You will do as I say. Be reasonable, I have an entire people to think of! I will not ignore what I know is best to satisfy the whims and feelings of a spoiled prince."

"Try to understand-"

"I have understood. I have listened, I have bargained, even. Yet you still refuse to willingly step into your destiny. The Bifrost is nearly completed, once it is rebuilt, you will be crowned king. There will be no further delay to that end."

"Father, I Do Not Refuse, but I am not prepared to be king. I still have much to learn."

"You were born for this, Boy. Your grief will never subside, you must learn to live with it, rule with it. I lost a brother too, I lost my love, your mother, and now I have lost my son... Kings learn quickly: loss is as inevitable as it is irrevocable."

"Loki was dearer to me than anyone you've ever lost, and more essential to my rule."

"You wallow in your brother's death, Thor. Do you think I am not bereft at his absence? He was my son, as dear to me as you, and I am the reason he is gone."

"Father, I did not mean to-"

"No. You grieve your brother, yes, you miss him. He was your companion, your perfect opposite, your sense of reason, your security. What you do not consider is what he was to me. He was my surety. I knew that as long as you had Loki, you had a steady hand to guide and protect you. And as long as Loki was around, Asgard would be safe and protected. Even in your debauchery, Loki proved himself capable he pulled your weight and then some, all with an eye towards making sure you maintained a reputation of valor and nobility." He shook his head as he gazed out of the window at the golden sky. It was as if as he spoke he was seeing everything he said clearly for the first time. "I had a vision for your reign, Thor. I was blessed to be the father of two sons, and so I conceived of a reign unlike any other; a reign that made rulers of both my sons, a reign that saw brothers as the leaders of the most powerful realm in the universe. A reign that proved for once and for all that a crown has very little at all to do with being a king. You would assume the title and wear the crown, but Loki would be there to guide you and challenge you, and rule should your absence ever be necessary. You would both be looked upon as the leaders of Asgard. That is what I meant all those years ago, Thor. You and Loki were meant to rule together."

"You never told us that!"

"I lost sight of it, I was consumed by wars and the sight of you both growing into men, into gods. When you were young it was so much easier to remember my vision...then time and foolishness on my part clouded my eyes. I aged and saw the glory of my youth in you. I spoiled you, I favored you and the realm followed suit, while Loki suffered the rejection and mistreatment that always comes with being different."

"We both could have been better to Loki while he was here. Perhaps we should not dwell too much on that, since we can do nothing to change it."

Odin nodded his head, the wistful look fading from his eyes as he rested them upon Thor.

"We must go on. You must assume the throne when the Bifrost is finished. The architects say it is days away from completion, and as such, we have already begun the preparations for your coronation. I am certain these doubts and fears will subside once you are king. You are quite capable, Thor, and as always I will be there to guide you."

Thor stood speechless as his father walked out of the hall. His golden hair fell into his face as he hung his head and sat on the stairs, unable to bring himself to approach the throne. The throne belonged to him, but it was hollow without his brother there to stand next to it, especially now that he knew of their father's dream for them. He held his face in his hands, consumed by anxiety, and did not hear the approach of Sif from the grand doors across the hall. She stood before him and frowned a bit. She did not understand the depths of his grief.

"Thor, I must speak with you." He was startled by her words and looked up quickly, his face softened into a look of complete attention to her words. He made a distinct effort to be gentle with Sif, she did not understand his feelings for Jane either, and was hurt when he ended their betrothal. "The all father asks me to come and reason with you. He seems to think you will object to being crowned."

"I object to the timing of it. I am on no hurry to rule, especially alone."

"Are you truly alone, Thor? There are those of us who would beg to differ." She kneeled before him, took his hands and looked him eye to eye. "We love you just as much as they ever did. We have never tried to kill you or eliminate an entire race or tortured the citizens of this realm."

"They acted out of a desire to protect the realm at any cost; they acted as royalty is required to act. Loki and Sigyn understood better than anyone what it means to rule; to sacrifice everything for the good of the realm."

"What did they ever sacrifice for Asgard?"

"They gave everything they had to the kingdom." He stood and walked up the stairs, leaving Sif to gaze after him as he leaned against the throne. "In the end they even sacrificed themselves."

"You speak out of love for them. Love blinds you. They were mad by the they left Asgard."

"Sif, you know nothing."

He raised his voice and lost a bit of his temper, he was immediately sorry.

"Speak not to me in that tone. I am not the mortal; I will have your head."

She snapped before she could stop herself and regretted the words as she said them. Thor gave her a weary smile.

"I wondered when Jane would enter the conversation…I set you free because I know that I do not love you Sif, and I wish for you to find someone who does. Jane had nothing to do with it."

"You set me free? Are you insane?"

"I do not mean to offend you."

"You're right about one thing Thor; you are no king. You are far too weak and emotional to lead a people and an army as mighty as these. I will tell the Allfather upon my next meeting with him; he should lose hope in finding a worthy successor in you."

She stormed out of the hall, if Thor didn't know better he would have thought he saw her wipe away tears as she went.

* * *

"Asgardian, there is no use in refusal...remember our bargain."

"You cannot even find her. "

"She is human now. Look how easily we subdued you that night."

"She's on to you and she will not be caught off guard again."

Two soldiers held Loki's weakened and frail body between them even though he had no strength to even try to fight them off. He had been bound by the shimmering white substance since his return to the planet, and so it continuously drained his strength and his powers from him. He refused to eat, he refused to speak to anyone except The Other. He took beating after beating in their attempts to break him, body and soul, they were satisfied that they'd sufficiently weakened him physically, now they intended to work on his mind.

He turned his face away from the light but the guards turned it forward and held it there. Internally he was raging against them, but outwardly he had not the strength.

The light played the happenings of the night he was taken, how he had failed her, how he stood by and watched as she was beaten. As she pleaded with him to fight, Loki felt an odd sensation in his eyes as they began to sting; he never cried.

"Turn it off."

He mustered enough strength to shut his eyes and bow his head. He hated himself for the tears that fell.

"Tears Asgardian? This woman weakens you. It's maddening; you waste your potential on love!"

The Other nodded his head and the soldiers dragged Loki across the ledge and bound him to a jagged stone with the silvery white bonds. His body burned where they touched him, they were beginning to singe his flesh.

"But even your love for her cannot dull your ambitions, can it? Do you know how we found you, Asgardian?'

Loki looked up, suddenly curious. He had wondered that from the moment his wound began to ache.

"Your thoughts wandered to our plans, remember. I believe it was as you dined with the goddess. When your mind lingered on Chitauri, the remnants of our device activated and the council were able to locate you... Your ambition is once again what led you to Chitauri."

Loki rolled his eyes and scoffed; he had hoped for a far more interesting explanation than that.

"My ambition now is to see you and your kind reduced to rubble. By the time I finish with you, Chitauri will be nothing but dust in the universe."

He sneered at the other in such a way that sent a cold chill down the creature's spine. For a moment he resembled his old self, strong, confident, powerful, menacing; in a word deadly. He recovered from the sight and stood a bit taller. The prince was in no position to make threats.

The greenness of his eyes was brightened by the blue light that shot from the pool. Everything within the beam reflected in his eyes, and mesmerized him so that he dared not look away. Thor and Odin stood before him, their backs to him, they looked out upon Asgard from the balcony of the throne room, as the three of them had done countless times before. They wore their regular garb, not the mourning clothes customary after the loss of a deity or a member of the royal family. They laughed heartily and loudly. Suddenly the images in the light changed. Earth floated before him, he could hear the chaos, the fears of the people, their hopes, dreams and prayers. All of it washed over him, he realized their aimless wander, their desire to find meaning in a life that was all too short.

"They need a king, Prince Loki. Asgard has its king; Earth is yours for the taking. Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Will you serve, and in return claim that which is rightfully yours?"

"I will."

His eyes flew over the images in the blue light. He searched frantically for her face. He wanted desperately to see that she was all right, his last image of her in a crumpled and bloody heap on the floor tormented him.

"His mind still wanders to the woman."

"He wishes to see her in the light."

"He will never fully bend to our will of his own accord."

The council spoke in their way, completely in unison and with the utmost loyalty to their leader. Loki bowed his head again; he deeply resented their ability to read his mind.

"I have so tried to avoid doing this to you Asgardian, but time is of the essence and you leave me no choice." The Other approached quickly and stood before Loki with his index finger outstretched. He recoiled, but it was no use, he was held in place as the creature touched its finger to the center of his forehead. Even the stoic and unemotional members of the council flinched at the anguished cry the prince emitted. It stopped as soon as the other removed his finger. Loki fell into a limp and lifeless heap in the arms of the soldiers who held him. "Carry him into the chambers. The council and I will follow you."

* * *

"Try it again, sweet heart."

"Do not call me sweet heart, Agent Barton." She said matter of factly as she stood alone in the white room and faced the glass wall, behind which he stood. "I simply cannot do this."

"You can do anything, Princess. I have faith in you."

She suppressed a smile and raised her hands before her. She shot him a look of warning as she approached the wall in front of her and leaned against it. She focused her mind on going through it, on making her body dissolve through the glass. The pane shook and began to crack; Sigyn removed her hands from it before it shattered.

"See!"

"You're not focused. I've watched you pick up entire languages and physics theories in an hour, I've seen you get impossible scores on your endurance test, intelligence test, and withstand pain and torture. Not to mention the fact that you can fly and manipulate fire and all that other stuff. Hell, you're almost as good a shot as I am, that alone is impressive. The only reason you wouldn't be able to do something, is because you don't want to."

"Clint."

"Sigyn, listen, I get it. Believe me. You're the mysterious woman, the quiet one. But you're also my little Phenomenon, and I know that you can do this. Come through that wall, and we'll move on."

She rolled her eyes and smiled as she inhaled. She recalled all she had read on the subject of intangibility. She thought of her body as liquid, as vapor, and leaned against the glass: nothing happened.

"It's useless. Let me out of here."

"Now if you really wanted to get out, that door couldn't stop you. What gives?"

"I'm tired."

"Bullshit."

"Listen, Hawkeye, I'm not a hardened SHIELD agent yet. I still have memories of a time when my time was my own." Sigyn said, frustrated with herself. She never made excuses, and she had never had this much trouble using her appropriation. "I'm not used to training day and night."

"Well, get used to it."

Maria Hill entered the room and stood beside Clint. Sigyn stood up straight and nodded in her direction.

"Agent Hill, I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"If I only showed up when and where I was expected I wouldn't be much of a spy, would I?" She gave Sigyn a small smile and then continued. "Intangibility is not about your body, it's about the obstacle you want to get through. Try it again with that in mind."

Sigyn nodded and stepped back. She placed a hand on the glass and reconsidered what she knew of intangibility and the few people on earth who could practice it. She kept her eyes open and focused her energy on the glass, she suddenly felt the cold smooth surface become warm and pliable. It bent against the pressure of her hand, and in a moment her hand went through it. She beamed at it, and used it to wave to her fellow agents before pushing the rest of her arm through and eventually the rest of her body.

"I did it."

She crossed behind the desk and touched fists with Clint, who looked just as proud of her as she was of herself. Agent Hill smiled and nodded.

"Good work, Sigyn. You've impressed us all with your progress, and Director Fury would like to have a word with you."

"No problem, when?"

"Well, now…why else do think I'm here?"

She walked out of the room, Sigyn close behind her until Clint grabbed her arm.

"Be careful, Princess. I'm not entirely sure what they want with you." She looked into his eyes as he continued to whisper. "The only person you can really trust here is yourself. Remember that."

"And you."

"Well…you've got me wrapped around your finger, but that goes without saying."

He playfully pushed her out of the door and she stifled a laugh as she followed Maria Hill down the corridors of the heli-carrier.

Fury's office on the heli-carrier was smaller than the one at SHIELD headquarters, but a full body scan was still required to enter. This office was lined with windows that gave him a view of what the craft was flying over. On the other side of the room was a wall of glass with a door that led to a balcony that overlooked the control center. Fury stood out on the balcony, and beckoned for the agents to join him.

"Nick Fury, Mrs. O'Donnell, nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise, I'm sure, Director Fury. "

"You've impressed Agent Hill and everyone else around here. There are whispers of your name throughout the organization; you're almost as legendary as me and Hill."

"I haven't really done anything yet, sir." She said as she leaned against the balcony ledge. "I just hope I can live up to my reputation."

"There is no doubt in my mind; she's a natural Sir."

Hill said, still standing at attention at the door. A beeping sound came from the phone on her waist and she excused herself as she answered the call and hurried out of the office. Fury stood next to Sigyn at the balcony ledge and looked over. They looked almost like a father and daughter, one generation looking out upon the legacy it would leave to the other.

"Are you very eager for your first mission?"

"I suppose so, but I do not want to go until I'm ready. I would hate to jeopardize a mission because of my inexperience."

"You and I are going to get along just fine, O'Donnell."

"Please, call me Sigyn. Everyone else does."

"What's your code name?"

"The Phenomenon."

"Agent Barton?"

"Yes. But Agent Hill seems to like it too. He wanted to call me The Knockout, but she thought it was too crass, and not clever enough."

"I agree. Phenomenon suits you better. Agent Barton has a way with words, and I trust he's been behaving like a gentleman."

"As much as he can, but I would be lost without him."

They walked into the office and Fury motioned for her to have a seat.

"I've looked into your past. I'm sorry to hear about your husband."

"Don't be. I have reason to believe that he's alive. It's part of the reason that I'm here."

"He was declared dead by the military, and the government. What makes you think he's still alive?"

"I know my husband. If he were dead I would know it." She looked him in the eyes as she continued. She did not want this man to think she lied, or that she had anything to hide. "I tried to convince myself that he was gone, but I know better now."

"Have you seen him?"

"I think you would know if I had. Haven't your people been watching me for quite some time?"

"We have, and we never saw him anywhere near you."

He pulled up Lucas's face on the screen before them; it seemed to hover in mid air between them. Loki looked like a human soldier in this photo, with his haircut short and his expression noble and serious. Sigyn looked through the photo at Fury, who was trying desperately to read her.

"Well then, I suppose that answers your question. It's more of a feeling than a certainty, but if I ever wanted to find someone, this would be the place to do that, wouldn't it?"

"Indeed. Have they trained you for interrogation yet, Phenom?"

"No, not yet, Sir."

She said with a smirk on her face.

"The minute Romanoff gets back, I want you in a room with her."

She shrugged and stood to go.

"It was a pleasure to meet you sir." He shook her hand and walked her to the door. "Have you heard from Steve?"

"No, I can't say that I have."

"That's odd, I sent him messages and called him, but he doesn't answer…are you still following him? Is he all right?"

"He's fine, Sigyn."

"Well, I'm not sure that he knows where I am, and he is probably worried."

"We'll send him word."

She thanked him and left the office, expertly navigating the corridors and halls to her sleeping quarters. It was a room with a bed and a dresser, just comfortable and big enough to not be considered a cell. She laid on the bed, exhausted from the day of training and testing. She'd had to retake her intelligence and endurance tests everyday for the past two weeks; the scientists simply could not believe her scores, no non mutant human should have been capable of her abilities, it would even be astounding if just one mutant were able to do what she could, as well as she could do it. She felt no pride in their awe, and got very little satisfaction out of the work she did with SHIELD. Her goal was exactly what she'd told Fury it was: to find Loki, and The Other, and give him back the type of beating he'd given her. She wanted to watch the life drain out of his cold black eyes, she wanted to hear the creature scream and beg for its life. The thought of it put a smile on her face that remained there as she drifted off to sleep.


	33. Chapter 32

Her eyes opened wide in the dark, she gasped for air, it was as though all the oxygen had suddenly been ripped from her lungs and her heart had stopped beating. She sat bolt upright upon the bed and clutched her chest.

"Oh no," she whispered in the dark as her heart beat restarted again, slow and steady "Loki…"

She ignored the beads of sweat that formed at her brow and raised her knees up to her chin. The heavy knot of worry in her stomach had her full attention and she knew there would be no more sleeping that night. She placed her feet upon the cold smooth floor and turned on the small light on her nightstand. She tried to forget the sensation she'd felt, what jolted her so suddenly awake had also scared her to no end. She knew it had something to do with Loki, with what was happening to him on Chitauri.

Of all the abilities she had been able to appropriate, her sorcery and mind altering capabilities were not among them. She could read minds as they did on Midgard, but it was nowhere near as acute and thorough and multifaceted as he telekinetic abilities had been on Asgard. She could not call to Loki, she could not read his heart rhythm; she had been the only being in the universe capable of such things, and without a being capable of it somewhere in the universe she could not duplicate the ability. That much she understood.

He had to be in terrible pain and anguish, for her distress was vivid and all too real; she knew she wasn't imagining things. As she made her way through dimly lit hallways she thought on what it could mean. She had searched every data base she could find on the SHIELD computers but to no avail; the Chitauri were as obscure to the Midgardians as they were to the rest of the universe. She sat behind a computer and sighed, pulling up a map on the wall before her of the entire galaxy they inhabited, and the planets they could name. The poor Midgardians could only identify about nine of the planets in their realm, they had not even recognized the fact that the other realms existed, let alone all the planets that occupied each realm. They had so much to learn, their world was so small. She thought this as she zoomed in upon the darkness at the farthest edge of the map, she remembered from Hugo's teaching that the Chitauri were among the more dependent races of the universe, and therefore they lived on the fringe of their realm, where travel to the planets within it was easiest. They had to live on this border, their planet had to be close to earth, but also close to the planet of the Titans.

She saw nothing but stars, the Midgardian satellites were not powerful enough to see between realms. She sighed and closed the map, leaning against the desk before her with her head hung down. She did not know why she thought tonight should be any different than any other night. She shuddered to think of why he had not come back yet. She had no doubt he could find her on the heli-carrier just as easily as he'd found her in Brooklyn. She had no doubt that he would find her anywhere, if he could only look. She frowned at the thought and bit her lip, closing her eyes and focusing on his face.

"Where are you? If you tell me, I'll come for you. I know you woke me up tonight, now tell me why…"

She was startled to hear a kindly voice respond from across the room.

"Prayer is such a beautiful thing, and rarely heard amongst the hardnosed types upon this…ship."

She turned around and relaxed a little to see the middle aged scientist, his kind face smiling at her as he walked over to a computer and began to type. She recognized him.

"Dr. Selvig?"

"Yes, I'm flattered you know me. I of course know who you are, but then again you seem to be all anyone can talk about."

"Is that so?"

"Aren't you the Phenomenon?"

He asked, a knowing smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile back.

"I suppose so. But you can call me Sigyn."

"Sigyn…As in the Goddess, Loki's wife, Thor's sister."

She turned back to her own computer as she spoke, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"It's rare to find someone who knows Norse mythology so well…I guess you and my mother would have gotten along just fine."

"Did she name you for the Goddess?"

"Yes. She was very fond of Sigyn. Sigyn was her favorite. I never really understood it...Sigyn seems so vague, so strange, from what I can tell."

"Oh no, no, no, your namesake was one of the most powerful of all the Norse Gods. Odin doted on her, he was her godfather. He loved her like a daughter, and the realms never saw a more beautiful woman. When she married Loki and became Princess of Asgard a legendary love story began…do you know the story of Sigyn and Loki?"

"No, "she turned her head back towards him and smiled. "I read something about a snake and a bowl once."

"Rubbish! Pure rubbish. Come sit, I'll tell you the truth of what happened."

"Maybe some other time, Doctor, I know you have work to do…what brings you here and so very late?" she said, approaching his desk. "I thought you were working on a reactor for the tesseract at headquarters."

"The reactor has been finished for weeks. I was visiting with a friend while the tesseract stabilized, I needed a bit of a break from it…Jane Foster, actually, have you heard of her?"

Sigyn caught herself just before she referred to the woman as Thor's human. She simply nodded and smiled. Selvig looked to his computer and continued.

"I wanted to get her opinion on my findings and how to proceed. Brilliant woman, Jane is. Very bright, in all honesty she should be here with us…but I suppose after the New Mexico incident she needs a bit of peace and quiet for a while. Perfectly understandable."

"That must have been fun for you though, since you love mythology so much."

He looked towards her and smiled.

"So you believe us, about Thor?"

"Absolutely. I have no doubt in what you say."

"Thor spoke very highly of your namesake to me. He loved her…come to think of it, his description of her was very similar to-"

His eyes narrowed on her and she pretended not to notice as they were interrupted. Fury entered the room.

"It seems the two most important people on this ship are in one piece in the same room, Hill. No need to be alarmed, stand down. I repeat, stand down." He stopped speaking into his earpiece and looked at Selvig and Sigyn with an expectant gaze. "Would either of you like to explain to me what is going on here?"

Selvig opened his mouth to speak as Sigyn mouthed the word "Please," to him. He nodded slowly and spoke.

"The agent and I ran into each other and began discussing the tesseract. She seems to know as much about the cube as I do…perhaps even more."

"Is that right, Agent O'Donnell?"

"Yes sir, but of course Dr. Selvig exaggerates. I can barely keep up."

"Still that's better than most of us. All right, then, I was going to assign someone to assist Dr. Selvig; I suppose you're the woman for the job. Consider it your first unsupervised mission; protect and aid Dr. Selvig at all costs."

"Yes Sir."

"That's in addition to your training. He's invaluable to our cause, Phenom, don't let me down."

"Of course not, Sir."

He left the room and Selvig looked at Sigyn, utterly awestruck by her presence.

"You're her aren't you?"

"I used to be, but not really, not anymore…Please, Dr. Selvig, no one else knows. I implore you not to tell anyone, I beg you."

"I won't. I would never betray you, your Goddesship."

"Please, do not refer to me that way. It's a bit obvious don't you think?"

"Yes. Of course….this is strange; I may be more in awe of you than I was of Thor."

"That's not uncommon."

She smiled as he stood from his seat and they left the room. Once she knew Dr. Selvig was safely in his room, she paced. The worry in her stomach had not subsided, the memory of the sensation that woke her had not waned. Something terrible was happening to Loki, and despite all the training and abilities she now possessed, she was still powerless to stop it.

* * *

The Chitaurian soldier held a silvery white pole to the skin behind the ear of the Asgardian and watched as it sealed his flesh and repaired the wound caused by the insertion of a new device into his body. The body was lifeless. It did not move, it did not breathe, it was cold and pale. The other had removed the life from him, giving the council the time they needed to operate upon him. He would restore brain activity to the Prince to allow them to alter his mind, then gradually he would return him to life. Time was of the essence, Thanos had not been appeased by the mere return of the Asgardian; he wanted the cube, and he wanted it immediately.

Loki's eyes popped opened in the dark and he sat up, examining himself. He was no longer bound by the silvery white bands; he was no longer weak and frail. His spirit had returned to his body, but his descent into death had been different from the time before…his soul had heard Sigyn's voice calling to him as he approached the light in the nothingness. He thought of the sound of it and wondered how she'd managed that. As his mind wandered to her, he felt the air fly out of his lungs, and his heart stopped in his chest. He fell forward onto the hard dirt floor and heaved in and out; no air came to him. The Other rushed into the room through its metal barred doors and stood by his side as he tried desperately to breathe.

"If you think of her too long, you both die. If you touch her during your quest to retrieve the cube, you both die. I assure you that at this very moment on Earth your beloved is experiencing the same breathless feeling as you. You will do as we say if you ever wish to be near her again. Understand?"

He nodded and as he pushed all thoughts of her out of his mind, slowly his lungs and heart began to function again. He stood up and he clothed himself with magic, relieved to finally have his abilities back. He looked upon The Other with his usual grimace of disdain and loathing.

"You Chitauri are more resourceful than I gave you credit for…that much I'll admit." He resisted the urge to grab the creature by the throat, for he did not know if harming The Other would in turn harm Sigyn and he was not willing to chance it to find out. "I have resolved myself to do your will. And I hope you will in turn keep your end of the bargain."

"Send me the cube and the Earth is yours. My army will see to it. My army will be your army until the Earth is subdued."

"Well then, let's not prolong the feat any more…where is my device?"

The Other sneered and opened his hand, snatching the device away as Loki reached for it and smirking at the baffled look upon his face as he dropped it to the ground and smashed it with his foot.

"Why would you do that, how am I to travel to the Earth now?"

He was baffled but calm, The Other was taken aback by his ability to control himself; he had so hoped for a violent reaction from the Prince.

"You will be transported to the earth upon activation of the portal you have commissioned the Selvig to build."

"Activation?"

Loki looked confused as The Other left the room. He held his face in his hands and frowned as he sat on the dirt floor: to the soldier that stood guard over him it seemed he had no choice but to go along with The Other's wishes, however Loki already had a plan in mind that would cost him greatly, but cost The Other far more in the end.

* * *

"Good Morning Princess."

She smiled at Barton as she took her usual seat across from him in the cafeteria. Breakfast was delilcious as all the food upon the helicarrier, but she was still too shaken up to eat. She yawned as she sipped the orange juice he pushed across the table to her.

"Don't call me Princess."

"I hear you're Selvig's new body guard."

"Assistant, and news sure does travel quickly around here, for this to be an espionage unit."

Hawkeye nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

"These eyes don't miss a thing…why didn't you sleep last night."

"I couldn't. I had a nightmare that shook me up pretty badly."

"What about your endurance test, how you gonna hold up without having slept?"

She sighed and shrugged.

"I'll manage."

"I've seen the toll it all takes on you when you're at a hundred percent." He leaned across the table a bit and whispered, his protective nature showing "You can't go in there like this."

"Fury made it clear he still expects me to train. I don't have a choice."

"Screw Fury. Say the word and I'll call the test off."

She smiled at him and placed her hand gently over his.

"I appreciate your concern more than I can say. But I can handle it."

As she walked out of the endurance test room she sighed heavily, hurrying to the nearest unlocked storage room, where she knew she could be alone. She laid upon her back on the floor and closed her eyes, wincing as she raised her hand to begin the process of healing herself. Exhaustion overtook her, and she knew she had only a moment before she was expected to collect Dr. Selvig from his research lab. She finished healing her wounds and stood up slowly, hoping her weakness was not noticeable by sight.

"Good Morning, Dr. Selvig. I hope you eventually got to sleep last night."

"I did indeed, Sigyn." He bowed his head to her as she stood before him, she shook hers in response to the kind and respectful gesture. "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten your protests."

"I assure you, I'm not anyone to be bowed to anymore. I'm just another human woman now."

"Thor spoke so highly of you. He adores you."

"I miss him…and of course Loki. Loki's part of the reason that I'm here." She said, running her fingers along his desk. "He needs me."

"Is he in trouble?"

"I think so. But I could be wrong, and I'd hate to burden you with any of it. You have a great deal on your mind already with the tesseract."

"Your godfather's cube." He nodded and gestured to her to look at the screen. "It's been sitting in it's reactor for weeks while we wait for further clearances from NASA, but it has yet to…"

"Awaken." He looked over his shoulder at her as she spoke, her eyes focused intently on the video footage of the tesseract on the screen before her. "It's still dormant now. Pray it stays that way."

"I agree a live tesseract could prove disastrous, but if it remains dormant how can its energy be harnessed?"

"Thermo nuclear fusion." She said matter of factly. "If I understood what I read on it a few days ago, the principle could be applied by heating the nucleus of the tesseract then fusion power would be produced, thus harnessing the energy of the tesseract in a controllable, sustainable, way."

His mouth was agape as she spoke, he recovered and nodded slowly. She smiled.

"Phenomenal."

She laughed, for he said it in earnest, not all trying to be funny. Suddenly she heard Maria Hill's voice in her ear.

"Agent O'Donnell, do you copy."

"I copy."

"Inform Dr. Selvig that the heli carrier is set to commence landing in about ten minutes, we'll arrive at the New Mexico facility in 15."

"Yes Maam."

An hour later they stood before the tesseract reactor and Selvig sighed as he noted no change in it. Sigyn felt her body become weak all of a sudden, and tried to mask it from the agents and scientists who milled around. A pair of eyes watched from the rafters and saw her as she leaned against a wall for support. Her eyes never left her charge; one thing was certain, he was safe as long as she was there. Hawkeye decided he would keep an eye on her.

"Take a break if you need it Sweet Heart. I've got you and Selvig covered."

"Thank you, Agent Barton." She said, a small smile on her face. "I'm tempted to take you up on that."

"Go ahead. Fury's not here. He'll never know."

She listened to the voice in her ear and yawned. She couldn't stay awake for much longer with out some help.

"How about you watch him for a few minutes while I go get some coffee?"

"You got it, Princess."

She shook her head and as she excused herself to Dr. Selvig he decided to accompany her instead. They left the large warehouse like room to walk down a brightly lit corridor to a tiny room with a refrigerator and a coffee pot. She took her coffee straight black and Selvig watched in amusement as she poured sugar into it. She ignored how hot it was and gulped the horrible drink down. She suddenly thought of Steve, and wondered how he could possibly drink cup after cup of the stuff. She was debating having another cup when a pair of feet thundered down the hall.

"Agent O'Donnell! Dr. Selvig!"

Cried the young agent as he entered the room, just as Sigyn's ear piece sounded.

"Phenom you might want to get Selvig back in here; there's a problem with his rubix cube."

The agent before them nodded his head frantically and gestured for them to follow him.

"Yes, Dr. Selvig the tesseract is glowing "

She dropped her coffee cup on the floor, shattering it to pieces, and took off down the hall, adrenalin completely overtaking her, Selvig right by her side .

"Sorry!"

She called back to the young agent, who stooped to the ground and began picking up the glass.

"I'll clean it up maam." He grumbled to himself. "It's what they pay me for…It's pretty much all they pay me for."

They burst through the doors to the room housing the reactor and over to the device. Selvig stood close to it, examining the tesseract which now had a faint blue glow around it.

"Back away from the cube, Doctor, it's terribly unsafe."

He heeded her warning, backing away with a baffled expression on his face.

"I have no idea what happened…it just all of a sudden…"

She looked around, calming herself.

"Will you be able to tell if it will remain stable?"

"I have to read the energy levels on it." He said as he crossed his makeshift lab and read the findings of his equipment. "They seem to be progressing…slowly but surely."

"Hawkeye."

"I'm here Princess."

"We have to get _everybody_ out of here. Get word to Hill and Fury; the tesseract is alive, and we are nowhere near able to control it."


	34. Chapter 33

"The Other will be here to collect you shortly, Asgardian," said the guard at the door "prepare yourself for your journey to the earth."

He stood from his seated position and transformed his clothes into his usual attire, a version of the battle attire he'd worn on Asgard. There were no mirrors in the room so he projected a copy of himself which stood before him. He looked into his own eyes, sunken and oddly, piercingly, blue; no longer the bright and unusual green they had always been. He held the face of his twin in his hands and stared at himself. His skin was pallid, pale and bruised, but his eyes were the worst of it. His eyes gave away the fact that he had been dead not long ago.

"The time is now Asgardian."

As he waved a hand over his projected self it disappeared, and much to his surprise a cloaked figure entered the cell. Loki stood up taller, the cloak this being wore was far grander than any attire he'd seen on the Chitauri.

"Are you the ally The Creature has been going on about?"

"Ha ha ha," laughed the cloaked figure, his formidable and imposing physical stature having no effect whatsoever on Loki. "Your obvious disdain for the Chitauri, even in the face of defeat, impresses and amuses me, Prince of Asgard. So the imbecile refers to me as his ally?"

He lifted his head a bit, Loki was surprised to see his faced still clothed in darkness.

"Yes…and I would not say that I have been defeated. Why do you hide yourself?"

"You of all people can understand the importance of a bit of mystery. I wish to remain anonymous for a while longer."

"Of course." Said Loki, striding around the cloaked individual, studying him with great interest. "Why are you so interested in the cube?"

"Power. Limitless power, lies within the cube. I have every capability of harnessing it, all I need now is the cube."

"You shall have it…otherwise The Other promises me that…_death_ will meet me with her dreaded embrace."

"There are those who would welcome the touch of Death…even for a moment."

"I've felt her touch, twice. She can be sweet; perhaps it is the sensation of being ripped out of her arms twice that has ruined me."

"I know exactly what you mean, Prince of Asgard."

Loki smiled as he stopped before the cloaked figure. "There's a gauntlet in my father's trophy room that holds the key to ruling the universe…but of course you already know that, don't you?"

"I do…"

"Well wouldn't that be a more effective tool for your endeavors?"

The figure's eyes bored into Loki, who smiled his most charming smile as the hand of the figure motioned to the Other.

"Leave us, Peasant." The guard started to speak, the cloaked figure grabbed him by the arm and pushed him out of the cell, slamming the door shut behind him. "I assume you'll have no trouble undoing that lock once we've talked."

"No trouble at all."

"Why have you allowed that imp to subdue you, Prince? Why do you yield to his demands?"

"I have not yielded; I have only _seemed_ to yield. I wish for a kingdom of my own, I wish to graduate from Prince to King. I was born to rule. But a kingdom must be taken by force, this creature has offered me an army."

"I have seen your potential, Prince of Asgard. Earth is beneath your capabilities."

"Who said anything about Earth?" He asked, the smirk upon his face spreading into his signature mischievous grin. "I've been waiting for a moment alone with you for quite some."

"The gauntlet has eluded me for decades. Your father-"

"_ODIN_'s wrongdoings are as vast and unique as the universe itself." He placed a hand of comfort upon the shoulder of the hooded figure whose face, still completely hidden in shadow, turned and looked into Loki's. His eyes were sincere as he continued to speak. "I can give you everything you need to become a ruler more absolute and formidable than any the universe has ever seen; the infinity gauntlet."

"I knew you were good Asgardian; I was not prepared for how good."

"Listen to me. I am motivated by the same things you are. My goals are essentially your goals…let me aid you in and in turn aid myself."

"You wish to destroy the Chitauri, Asgardian. That much is quite clear."

"Among other things."

"Yes, but I need that cube."

"You want the cube. It was lost by these undeniable blunderers and now resides with a race who have no idea how to harness it. It is an intriguing tool, and easily the jewel of Odin's reign. It could give you leverage in your dealings with him, if nothing else. But I have an impression of you, and of who you really are. You seek the universe, and therefore, you _need _the gauntlet. It is as simple as that." Loki held his gaze, or what he assumed was his gaze, for his face was shrouded in shadow still. "I can secure you the gauntlet if I can be returned to Asgard."

"But I cannot aid you in that, Asgardian. If I could get into Asgard, I would have done it long before now."

"I'm not asking you to get me back…I'm asking you not to interfere in my plans on Earth, and to reign in the Other if he becomes…"

"Errant?"

"Precisely."

"So if I aid you in this, once you are in Asgard you will procure me the gauntlet?"

"I will."

"Then what have I to lose. I have no sympathy for these, creatures as you call them. Let them all perish. The universe will be better without them. I trust you Asgardian…against my better judgement."

"Indeed." He held out his hand, the figure took it and squeezed it firmly. "You are a wise being; you know that I'm well motivated to keep my end of the bargain."

"Precisely. I will have no trouble reigning in The Other, do what you must on Earth, Loki, only bring me the gauntlet when all is finished."

* * *

As he approached the ledge of the council the landscape of Chitauri seemed somehow darker than usual, and the light of their reflecting pool glowed a more brilliant blue than anything he had ever seen before. He stepped to the edge of it, and felt a magnetic pull towards the light. His body felt warm and strong, his mind seemed clear and at ease. All he wanted was to travel within the light. He took the final step into it, without bothering to wait to be prompted by The Other.

* * *

The Other fell to his knees before Thanos who sat patiently watching the goings-on on the ledge below his makeshift throne.

"The Tesseract has awakened. It is on a little world; a human world. They would wield its power. But our ally knows its workings as they never will. He is ready to lead, and our force, our Chitauri, will follow." He paused and gestured to the thousands of soldiers who stood at attention on the ground far below them. "The world will be his; the universe yours. And the humans, what can they do but burn?"

Thanos looked past The Other out into the sky and his gaze finally settled on the glowing blue light, which had not settled back into the pool but rather intensified as the prince disappeared into it. He pondered the irony of it, the light which they believed to be their salvation would in time prove to be their doom. Whether the humans would burn or not was entirely up to the prince, however the Chitauri were certain to end up obliterated from the face of the universe. It was a small and insignificant price to pay as far as Thanos was concerned.

* * *

"You men need to evacuate this area, right now."

"Phenom, with all due respect, we were given a directive to protect the cube at all costs and that's what we intend to do."

"There is nothing to protect anymore, its live, as in alive, as in operating of its own accord. It has turned from an asset into a threat!"

"Princess, theres no need arguing with them, they're men on a mission. Get the Doctor and yourself out of here. Fury's landed, Coulson's sending him down."

"Why are you still here?"

"Direct orders. Stay Put. I do what I'm told."

She sighed a sigh of pure frustration and threw her hands up in the air before rushing over to the lab. Selvig ran around the cube, then back to his computer. His best efforts to stabilize the cube had failed just as miserably as his efforts to control or contain it's rapidly rising energy surge.

"DO NONE OF YOU BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY THIS THING COULD BLOW AT ANY MINUTE?" She bellowed, bringing all ffrantic movement in the room to a halt. "EVERYONE WHO IS NOT UNDER DIRECT ORDERS FROM FURY TO BE IN HERE GET OUT _NOW _OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF IN WAYS THAT WILL MAKE THE IMPENDING EXPLOSION IN HERE SEEM LIKE A GOOD TIME!"

A sudden rush of scientists, young agents in training, and glorified doormen ran out of the doors and down the long halls that led out of the facility. Hawkeye smirked from his position in the rafters. She heard him scoff into her earpiece, she rolled her eyes and stood next to the doctor who now stood before the tesseract, in absolute disbelief.

"This is unfathomable. Its commendable of you to try and warn them but if this explodes…there may not be a safe place anywhere."

"I'm well aware of that." She sighed again, this time much more sad than anything else. "There will be no stopping it. This is precisely what it was meant to do."

"Talk to me, Doctor."

Said Fury, in a surprisingly calm voice as he strode across the room to where Sigyn and Selvig stood. They stepped from behind the reactor as Selvig responded.

"Director!"

"Is there anything we know for certain?"

"The tesseract is misbehaving."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

Asked Fury, with a weary expression; Sigyn spoke with a sense of urgency before Selvig could explain. This was no time for misunderstandings or cute banter.

"No, it is most certainly not funny at all. The tesseract is not only active, it is misbehaving. It is live, operating of its own accord and dangerous in ways beyond my ability to accurately describe….Sir."

Fury recovered from the shock of her speech and nodded solemnly.

"How soon until you pull the plug?"

"She's an energy source," said Selvig, in an astonished tone. "If we turn off the power, she turns it back on. If she reaches peak level…"

"We've prepared for this doctor." Said Fury, looking at Selvig with a gleam of hope in his eye. "Harnessing energy from space."

"I have no idea how you thought that was going to work; the tesseract _is_ energy from space…"

Sigyn spoke out loud without meaning to, and looked mortified as Fury and Selvig stared at her.

"And just how do you know so much about all of this, Phenom. You've only been here a few weeks."

His eye bored into her face. She stared defiantly back and spoke calmly.

"I catch on fast; everyone knows that."

"Anyway, it's a moot point; we don't have the harness. Our calculations are far from complete, and now she's throwing off interference; radiation. Nothing harmful, but low levels of gamma radiation."

"That can be harmful." Fury said in an ominous tone. Sigyn looked curiously at him as he stared at the reactor, wondering what he meant. "Wheres Barton?"

"The Hawk?" Asked Selvig, a little amused, "Up in his nest, as usual."

"Agent Barton, report."

Sigyn's head shot up as Hawkeye repelled from a rope down to the spot right next to her, winking at her as he landed.

"I had no idea you could get down here that easily."

"I'll teach you how to do it sometime."

"I'm counting on it."

She smirked as he walked to Fury's side, and frowned as they walked away and her attention fell back on the tesseract.

"Fret not, Goddess. I don't have the feeling that I'll die tonight, do you?"

She thought about it for a moment and smiled at the ground.

"No…not really."

"Doctor, it's spiking again!"

Called a lab assistant from behind a computer, Sigyn had barely enough time to turn her head and notice Selvig's horrified facial expression before the blast. The tesseract opened and from it shot a blast of blue energy powerful enough to shake the facility and the ground it stood upon. Sigyn was blinded by it and thrown back into the nearest wall by the force of its blast. She came to and heard the sound of bullets flying, and what sounded like small but loud explosions in the room. All the gunfire stopped. She lifted herself upright slowly and looked into the smoky atmosphere. All eyes that were still alive were on a figure on the platform before them. She noticed as Barton stood up, and gasped as she recognized the figure and the voice that spoke to him as it approached her friend.

"You have heart."

He remarked as he touched the end of his spear to the heart of Agent Barton. Sigyn watched as his eyes went black, and was stunned as he sheathed his weapon and stood beside Loki, as though he was now his soldier. She stood up from the floor slowly, and Loki turned to see who moved. His face fell and his mouth hung open as he recognized her, but slowly his shock turned into a smirk of approval.

"You look gorgeous in that attire, Love."

"Undo whatever you just did to them," She said, slowly walking towards Loki as he continued to touch the few remaining live agents with his scepter. "And drop the device."

"No. Take another step towards me and I'll kill you where you stand."

"You couldn't if you tried."

"But I _would_ try; I would try my very best."

He glared at her, his face more menacing and evil then she could ever remember seeing it. She took her turn to smile at him.

"It wouldn't be enough."

Fury took the momentary distraction to sneak over to the tesseract, now docile and lifeless as it had been before, and place it in its former home strapped into a titanium case. Loki looked in his direction.

"Please don't." he said, in his charming way. "I still need that."

As Loki turned his attention to Fury, Sigyn beckoned to Selvig who stood near her; with his mind on the tesseract they had an opportunity to head for the door. Fury noticed their attempt to escape, and decided to stall Loki so they could get away.

"This doesn't have to get any messier."

"Of course it does," He said in a voice that made Sigyn glad his back was too her. The smile she knew he wore was irresistible and would have stopped her in her tracks. "I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach and she hung her head, all as Selvig stopped and turned slowly around to speak.

"Loki, brother of Thor?"

Sigyn grabbed the doctor's arm and tried to pull him away as Loki turned his head towards them. She met his eyes and gave a slight shake of her head; he smiled at her, a genuine smile, as Selvig's eyes traveled back and forth between the two.

"We have no quarrel with your people."

Said Fury, calling Loki's attention back to him, he winked at Sigyn and turned back to Fury, his demeanor still confident and surprisingly calm.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

"You planning to step on us?"

Selvig turned to Sigyn as Fury and Loki went back and forth.

"Your husband?"

"A version of him, I think." She looked baffled and horribly worried as the kind scientist gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "I've never seen him this way before. His eyes are…wrong. They're the wrong color. How can that be?"

"Don't be afraid, your goddesship; fear won't be of any help to you in what's to come."

She nodded slowly, and they looked over at Loki and Fury.

"I come with glad tidings." He said, with a slight flourish of his hand. "Of a world made free."

"Free from what?"

"Freedom. Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that in your heart," he said with another flourish and a wave of his scepter, the tip of which he touched to the chest of the kind scientist. " You will know peace."

Sigyn watched in horror as Selvig's eyes turned black, and stood in disbelief as Loki removed the scepter and the doctor stood with him, completely under his control.

"What have you done?"

She asked quietly, as Fury spoke to Loki.

"Yeah you say peace. I think you mean the other thing."

Sigyn over came her shock and glanced around the room, hearing the sound of the evacuation alarm in her ears for the first time. Her eyes rested on the black hole that hung in the room, the one she assumed Loki had traveled through. It was obviously on the verge of imploding…she no longer had to wonder why Fury seemed so oddly serene.

"Sir, Director Fury is stalling." Said Barton, his intuition as keen as ever despite his new allegiance to Loki. "This place is about to blow and drop a hundred feet of rock on us; he plans to bury us."

"Like the pharaohs of old."

"He's right, the portal is collapsing in on itself. You've got maybe two minutes before this goes critical."

Loki listened to Selvig's words, turned his back to Fury, and gave a slight shrug. The sound of his voice sent a shiver down Sigyn's spine.

"Well then…"

"LOKI DON'T!"

Her plea was drowned out by the sound of Barton's gun. He fired a bullet into the chest of Fury who collapsed to the ground. As Sigyn prepared to make her last stand, she was surrounded by the agents now under Loki's control. She smirked, knowing she could make short work of them. Her eyes gleamed with excitement as she sized them up, but they narrowed as she watched Loki conjure a very familiar looking silvery white rope.

"You wouldn't dare."

She said through clenched teeth as he handed the rope to one of his minions and grabbed Selvig by the shoulder.

"Cooperate or I'll decapitate your little friend."

She let out a frustrated grunt and held her hands behind her back, feeling herself weaken immediately as the agents tied her wrists tightly.

"What are you doing? What is all this about?"

"You'll see soon enough."

He gestured to his agents and suddenly everything went dark as they covered her head. She felt them lift her off the ground, and felt their hands gripping her body as they carried her up over their heads. As they walked down the halls, she could hear the commotion of the agents still trying to evacuate. The movement of Loki's group stopped.

"You'll never get past them."

She said, knowing Loki had not anticipated running into them so soon.

"Never say never Love…I hate having to do this to you, but it's for the best."

She didn't have to wonder long what he meant, for almost immediately after he finished sspeaking, she lost consciousness all together.

* * *

"He has arrived on Earth."

"He has made contact with the humans"

"He has declared himself to them."

"He has taken the tesseract into his possession."

"He has the Goddess with him even now."

"Fear not, My Lord," said The Other as he bowed at the feet of Thanos "We will cripple him."

"Cripple him? And have the humans view him as weak and vulnerable, and rendered so by a _woman_ no less?" His distaste for the idea was evident in the look upon his face. "No. He has the cube in his possession, he has fulfilled his obligations thus far, I see no need to punish him. Clearly the Goddess is not interfering with his ability to carry out the task at hand. Your imbecilic nature is what cost me the cube in the first place; you don't want to do that again."

"Of course not, My Lord. I would never, my lord." Said The Other, bowing as he descended the mountaintop to the ledge of the council below. "Ignore his indiscretion with the Goddess for now. Do not use the device within him against him unless I tell you to."

* * *

Fury ran across the sand of the desert landscape, hoping to catch up with the vehicles that drove steadily away from him while behind him the wreckage of his helicopter smoldered. He stopped and watched the vehicles drive further and further away. It took him a minute to recognize the voice coming from the walkie talkie at his hip.

"Director? Director Fury? Do you copy?"

He sighed and responded, loathe to admit the truth of what had just happened.

"The tesseract is with the hostile force. I have men down. Hill?"

He waited with bated breath then breathed a sigh of relief to hear the voice of his most trusted agent in his ear.

"A lot of men still under, don't know how many. Does anyone have eyes on the Phenomenon?"

"Last I saw she was being taken by the hostile force. Focus Hill, I know she's your girl but she can take care of herself. I need you to sound the general call; I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that briefcase!"

* * *

Her eyes opened slowly and took in her surroundings, a dimly lit underground bunker, where SHIELD agents ran to and fro; carrying out whatever directive Loki had given them. She spotted Selvig and called to him, her voice quiet and weak.

"Doctor, what's going on, where are we?"

He ignored her as he made haste to get the tesseract into the reactor he stood before. She sighed and rested her head against the cold dirt floor, mustering what strength she could to slide her wrists free of the white rope that had bound them, ignoring the painful burns the rope caused when it touched her bare skin. She rolled away from the rope, and came face to face with a very familiar looking boot, more luxurious than anything she'd ever seen on Earth. She looked up at Loki and sighed, knowing the smirk on his face meant he was more than enjoying seeing her this way. She reached her hand out to him, thinking he would help her up but instead he backed several feet away from her. She shrugged her shoulders and stood up without his help or anyone elses.

"If you didn't want me here, why did you take me? What the Hel is all of this Loki?"

"I want you here, Woman; I just don't want you to touch me right now. Once all is complete I will rule this planet as its King and therefore you will be its Queen, but until then we have to abstain from each other."

"You have completely lost your mind. I'm not going to rule this planet with you because you are not going to rule this planet at all. This is insane, Loki."

"You will. You will have no choice. How human of you, to think you have a say in any of this when you are as insignificant as anyone else as far as all of this is concerned." He gestured to the chaos around them, and smiled at the glare she shot him. "Not to me, but in the grand scheme of things Love. The world will be mine, and in turn yours, its only a matter of time now."

"You just threatened to kill me less than an hour ago."

"Well I had to put on a show for your new friends, didn't I? Couldn't have them thinking you had anything to do with this. I would never hurt you Sigyn."

"You have hurt me. This is hurting me."

"That's only because you love me."

"No I don't; I can honestly say that I don't even recognize you anymore."

"But," he said in a voice more sincere than she was expecting. "I still love you as much as I ever did."

"Well love alters when it alteration finds."

"Ha, Shakespeare you always were fond of him. I guess he was pretty impressive for a mortal." His eyes met hers with a playful grin on his face. "But you and I both know that's not quite what he meant when he wrote that. You've taken it completely out of context."

"I meant what I said."

"My Lord, the tesseract has stabilized once again, and is resting in its reactor." Sigyn met eyes with the kind scientist, who stood next to her and whose movements and speech were a bit odd as he operated under Loki's control. She turned to face him. "You're Goddesship."

"What has he done to you?"

She grabbed his face as he rose from his bow. She held it gently as she looked into his eyes and was astonished to see his eyes goes from black to their normal color. Her face contorted into a confused expression as Loki roughly pushed her to the ground.

"What have you done?!" He seethed as he touched the scepter to the heart of the doctor and sent him back to his work. He turned to Sigyn with a menacing glare. "Tie yourself back up and sit on that floor until I tell you to do otherwise."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because if you do not I will kill Selvig and every other one of these mortals I think you have a soft spot for."

She rolled her eyes and reached for the rope on the ground beside her. She screamed in excruciating pain and dropped it to the ground for the rope had burned deeply into the palms of her hands. She leaned forward in agony, and was shocked to see Loki drop his scepter and fall to her side, grabbing her wrists and examining the wounds on her hands. He was horrified to find dark burns and large blisters there. She wanted to yank her hands away, but she was too comforted by his touch to do it. She hated herself for that.

"What happened, why did that happen?"

"I don't know, its your rope." She looked into his eyes as he concentrated on healing her hands. His eyes were darkened, they no longer glowed the same bright blue as the tesseract and his scepter. "Loki…what have they done to you. I know this all for the Chituari, but why have you succumbed to their wishes?"

He sighed and continued to hold her palm in his, running his finger gently over her burns and healing them as he did.

"Why do you think?" He smiled as he saw her puzzled expression. "I made you a promise didn't I?"

He let go of her hand and grabbed his scepter before standing up.

"I don't understand."

"You will….I have things to discuss with Agent Barton. You will remain here, quietly, until I return…keep your hands to yourself Sigyn."

He nodded in her direction and suddenly a pair of gloves appeared on her hands, gloves she soon realized were attached to her hands like a second skin; she could not remove them. He left the room and disappeared down a corridor. Sigyn made a bee line for Selvig's new lab and the tesseract.

"Your Goddesship." He said with a bow. "Its an honor for me to see you and my master back together again."

"He isn't your master, Dr. Selvig. You are a brilliant and well respected scientist. He is controlling your mind."

"Sit, Goddess. Listen to the story of your love that I promised you." She looked at him, her expression once again confused. "Sit and listen."

She sat on the stack of crates he gestured to and stared at the glowing light of the tesseract as he began to speak.

"From the moment the young prince Loki saw the beautiful maiden Sigyn lounging in the gardens of her father's palace, he knew she was meant to be his. The problematic thing was that Sigyn was betrothed to another, the brutish and bumbling soldier Theoric. Loki ignored this fact, for nothing could stand between him and his desire for this most attractive woman, except perhaps the idea that she may not want him in return. Loki used his most favorite trick and assumed the form of a bird, a magnificent bird, and flew over the palace wall and landed on Sigyn's arm. She spoke to the bird, sighing deeply and lamenting her wedding the next day. She expressed her fears and reservations about the notoriously fiendish and dastardly Theoric, but also her resolve to go through with the wedding as planned so as not to dishonor her family. She was astonished once she finished her story to hear the bird sing to her in a language she could understand. It said, name to me the one you would have marry you instead, and being a bird of extraordinary power, I will have him appear on the day instead of Theoric. Sigyn grinned from ear to ear, knowing the bird could do no such thing, but amused by the earnestness she heard in his voice, and so she thought for a moment on all the men in the kingdom she'd been introduced to, finding none of them attractive until her mind wandered to one. The only one who is nothing like all the others is the younger prince, she said and she whispered the name into the birds ear and it flew away." Selvig checked the levels on the tesseract and came back. Sigyn was captivated by his story. "As she walked down the aisle the next day she saw Theoric standing before the Allfather and sighed, wishing somehow that the little bird had been able to come through. Still she went through with it, bravely making her vows and meaning each word. As she kissed her new husband she was astonished to see him transform before her very eyes into the handsome younger prince of Asgard. Even as the Allfather bellowed his disapproval she grinned at her new husband, understanding that he had been the bird the whole time. She spoke up in earnest against the Allfather's wishes to annul the marriage and for her loyalty was created the Goddess of Fidelity and Bonds, and the Princess of Asgard. The love of Loki and Sigyn became the most idealized and idolized of any other love story in mythology, with Sigyn's unwavering strength and loyalty the reason why the cunning and mischievous Loki remained so intrigued and enthralled with her. You are worshipped the world over, your faithfulness and devotion to each other have inspired the world."

"Your story is far better than the one I read, but it does not compare at all to the truth of what we had."

"What you_ have_, Goddess. You will see, the world will be made free by the master's plan, and then we will have the benefit of watching your glorious reign first hand."

She hung her head, disappointed to see the brilliant man so completely lost in the fog Loki had induced. As her finger brushed her ear, she realized her ear piece was still in place. She placed a hand to it, hoping it still worked.

"Phenom! Phenom this is Hill, respond if you copy."

The voice of her mentor whispered into her ear, and she wondered how she could respond without the swarm of agents that walked by noticing. She needed a distraction, then remembered the fact that she possessed the power to cause whatever distraction she wanted to. Moments later the agents milling around her rushed off towards the sound of what seemed to be an explosion in one of the corridors. She quickly responded to Hill.

"Agent Hill, I copy, but I don't have much time," She looked wearily at the doctor, who was too enthralled by the light of the tesseract to pay her any attention. "I'm alive. The tesseract has stabilized and I have eyes on it…but I have no idea where I am."

"What about the hostile force, this, uh, Loki of Asgard? Has he been neutralized?"

"No."

"Is he hurting you?"

"No, he won't hurt me." Her eyes widened as she heard heavy boot steps approaching her. "I have to go."

"Wait, how can you know that for sure Phenom?"

"Because he's my husband; don't worry about me Hill, just do whatever it takes to keep his plan from coming to pass. I'll retrieve the tesseract if I can."

She switched off her device before Hill could ask any more questions and just as Loki, Barton and the other agents returned. Barton approached Sigyn and yanked her earpiece out.

"No more phone calls."

"Clint."

She grabbed his hand, he yanked his arm away and walked off, Loki watched the exchange with a detached expression.

"When will you learn, Woman? Feeling any type of sympathy for these mortals is a mistake. I wish you could see that your emotions weaken you."

She walked towards him, grabbed his face and pulled his lips to hers, kissing him passionately. As she pulled away she looked into his eyes, once again the glowing blue light dimmed a bit at her touch. She frowned as three guards came to subdue her.

"You can keep me tied up all you want, I know you felt that!" She yelled, a defiant smile on her face as the agents drug her away. "You'll never be able to stay away from me, Loki…and how do you know you can trust me to be alone with these now mindless soldiers of yours, hmm? Do you think the tesseract is powerful enough to make me undesirable? Are you willing to risk being wrong about that?"

He hung his head and spoke, frustration in his every word.

"Let her go." He spoke quietly to his soldiers who were puzzled at his request. "LET HER GO!"

He yelled, the soldiers let her fall to the floor, Loki grabbed her by her collar and pinned her against the nearest wall.

"When will you learn, my Loki, emotions weaken you."

"Why can't you be at my side in this? The only reason I brought you here was to have you at my side, yet you have brought me nothing but grief since the moment you woke up."

"I will not be at your side because I am not on your side. I am against you and I will do everything in my power to see to it that your plan, whatever it is, fails; miserably and spectacularly." He tightened his grip on her throat, she pushed her hands into his chest. "But if you stopped this now I would be with you again. I will protect you from any harm that would come to you from anyone. I promise."

"I _do _what I _want_, Woman. No one controls me; as you see I control others." He released his grip on her neck and unpinned her. "But your faith in me impresses me, but once again it is horribly misplaced. I have become who I was meant to be."

"You are nothing but a specter of your former self. There is nothing glorious about your attempt to subdue a race you and I were both created and sworn to protect."

She spoke her words to his back as he walked away, in her rage she grabbed Selvig by the arm and pushed him away from the reactor, prepared to destroy the entire room with her bare hands.

"I'd think again about that if I were you Princess."

Said Barton, his gun pointed to her temple. She let go of the scientist and raised her hands in surrender.

"Alright, Hawkeye. I understand."

"Sit tight. Be patient. The master will soon reveal to all of us the part we play in his plan." He holstered his weapon and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "He calls for me now, and you, he wants out of sight."

She protested as he dragged her towards a nearby utility closet, pushed her in and shut the door. Nothing but darkness was behind it. She sighed as she took a moment to collect herself, then remembered her training. She grinned from ear to ear as she leaned against the wall, focusing on making it bend to her will and allow her through. As her arm became lost in the wall she grinned, intangibility was a handy power to possess after all.


	35. Chapter 34

She stumbled out into the corridor on the other side of the wall and fell to the floor. She laid there safe for the moment in the quiet and the dark, and tried not to lose her breath as all that had happened overtook her. She cringed as she remembered the exchange of words between herself and Loki. She hadn't asked him how he was or let him explain what had happened to him, instead she had jumped down his throat and berated him from the moment he arrived, when from the moment he arrived the humans had tried to kill him. The SHIELD operatives at Fury's command had tried their best to kill her beloved and she had taken their side. For all she knew Loki was acting to protect them and keep the tesseract out of unstable and incapable hands. She allowed the tears she cried to slide down her face as she writhed on the floor, her guilt putting her in agony.

Then suddenly she sat up, realizing how absurd she was being. Loki was not the victim here at all. He had every intention of ruling these people, he had told her as much from his own mouth. She dried her face, shaking her head as she stared at the ground beneath her. She almost laughed at how quickly she regretted her harsh treatment of him even though he completely deserved it. She thought for the first time that perhaps Frigga was right, perhaps their love was more of an obsession than anything else. Perhaps they were abnormally and unhealthily concerned with one another. Perhaps they were toxic to one another, like drugs.

She stood up slowly and tried to get her bearings, she looked down the dimly lit corridor as far as she could. She could hear no footsteps or voices in this area and she could not tell which way was the way out. Everything looked the same in either direction.

She opened her eyes as wide as she could and focused her energy on causing her vision to go through the walls before her. Nothing was there but more corridors. She turned to face the wall she'd come through and looked past the closet and into the room full of agents and scientists working with Selvig. She was trapped. There seemed to be no way out in either direction. She noticed Barton making his way through the room towards the door to the closet and quickly she walked back through the wall, sitting on the floor just as he opened the door.

"The master would have you work with Dr. Selvig to maintain the tesseract."

She nodded her head and stood up, following Barton out. As she walked behind him she noticed her earpiece still in his pocket. She tried not to grin too much as she suddenly tripped over a rock in the floor. Clint moved with the speed and precision he was renowned for, he caught her in his arms, she looked up at him, expertly feigning shock and embarrassment as she gently reached into his back pocket and removed her earpiece, sliding it up her sleeve, all with one hand and within a few seconds.

"I'm so sorry Clint."

"No harm done. Be more careful, watch where you're going."

"Of course."

He stood her up a bit more roughly than he normally would have and they continued the walk to the lab where he left Sigyn and Selvig to their work. As the hours waned on and Sigyn supervised the readings of the energy of the tesseract, it seemed to have stabilized; Loki's minions seemed capable of controlling it's power much better than they had at the SHIELD base. She looked curiously at the device, thinking of nothing in particular as she approached it. She stared at the glowing blue cube, so small yet so powerful, as she held a hand over it and felt a small amount of heat emanating from it. She quickly pulled her hand back as the cube started to shake. She looked curiously at it, astonished that at the moment she'd moved away from the tesseract it had stopped moving.

Now all she could see was its light, and she thought it beautiful as she really took it in for the first time. The deeper she looked into it, the more familiar it seemed. It was transfixing. There seemed to be a shape within its glowing rays, a very familiar shape that resembled a road, a road brought vividly to life in her mind's eye, its golden pavement seemed to appear before her, and her feet seemed to carry her down it.

She opened the black wrought iron gate, feeling very much at home again. It had been ages since she'd seen the mansion in the heart of Asgard city, her perfect house where her perfect husband no doubt waited patiently for her return. She walked the walkway, intent on making it to the porch when suddenly she heard laughter from the gardens. It stopped her from moving.

Her head turned in an instant at the sound of it, her eyes opening wide as she took in what she saw. A small child sat playing on the ground, placing the white oleanders she'd picked to her face and giggling as their petals tickled her nose. Her hair was deeply black, the gown she wore was cream colored, and upon her head was a tiara of sapphires and emeralds.

"Kasia, darling, get out of the dirt before your mother gets home."

"Yes Father."

She stood up and ran around the corner to the sound of Loki's voice, Sigyn started after her, just as someone grabbed her wrist.

She turned slowly and looked into the face of her friend which was now sweaty and full of wonder.

"What do you see in it, Your Goddesship?" Asked Selvig, curiously. The blackness of his eyes was beginning to lift, and instead there was a new blue forming there, the same blue light as the tesseract, the same blue light in Loki's eyes. "Is it not glorious?"

"Of course it is." She smiled a small smile and looked with eyes full of pity at the scientist, who even now was kind and respectful. "I've seen the power in it. Darkness. it only showed me what it thinks I want."

"This is power, indeed. But it is also light; I have never seen anything so clearly…it tells what is to come."

Sigyn placed her still gloved hands firmly on the shoulders of Dr. Selvig and shook him vigorously. Nothing happened, the kind scientist laughed.

"Indeed, Your Goddesship. I have begun to babble, haven't I?" He smiled at her as he headed back to the equipment. "Back to work."

She sighed and hung her head, heading off the platform of the makeshift laboratory and down a corridor she had seen Loki walking in. Two armed guards stopped her at the entrance to the corridor, their eyes as black as Selvig's had been. She rolled her eyes at them.

"And just what do you think you are doing?"

"The Master would have sent for you if he wanted you."

"How dare you show such insolence to me? What will your master say when he hears of the disrespect you showed his queen? Your queen!"

The two guards exchanged baffled looks and then looked back at Sigyn, who suddenly stood before them as regal and authoritative as she had ever been on Asgard.

"But the maste-"

"Move now, Peasants, and I will keep this moment between the two of us. Nothing is to ever separate me from my…Beloved King."

She tried not to grimace as the words came out of her mouth then pushed easily past the guards and walked down the corridor. She looked in the rooms that led off of it and ducked into one that was empty.

She shut her eyes even though the room was pitch dark and slid down the wall to the floor; she could not decide if she was happy at the vision or devastated by it, all she knew for certain was that it was not real. She tore her thoughts away from the sight of her non-existent daughter, choosing instead to stand and stick her earpiece back into her ear.

"This is the Phenomenon, does anyone read me?"

She waited and heard nothing, the silence was broken only by static. She had resolved to leave the room when suddenly a voice rang out in her ear.

"This is the Black Widow, Phenomenon. I don't think we've had the pleasure."

"I've heard of you. How is Russia?"

"Fine. How's married life?"

"News sure as travels fast at SHIELD, doesn't it?"

"More than you know." She found herself smiling in the dark at the sarcastic tone of her fellow agent. "But the jury's out on you. No one knows whether you can be trusted or if your Loki's pawn…"

"I am no one's pawn…What do you think?"

"I have my opinion, but I'll reserve judgment until we meet face to face." She nodded in the dark, assuming Romanoff gave her the benefit of the doubt. "Where are you Phenom?"

"I have no idea. It can't be far from the New Mexico facility though…everyone here arrived by jeep."

"That's good to know."

"The tesseract is live but stable. You should be able to read the gamma radiation it's emitting from wherever we are…but then again we are pretty deep underground…"

"Don't worry Phenom. I'm on my way to see a guy about a green eyed monster, who just so happens to be an expert on gamma radiation. I've got to go now, I've got eyes on him. But I will let Fury know you were in contact with us."

"Thank you."

"Stay safe, Phenomenon, at least until we meet; I would like to know for sure that I've got the right idea about you."

"Good Luck with the expert."

"Thank you; I'll need it."

She dared not try to contact anyone else in the agency for fear she had been gone too long and her absence would soon be discovered. She eased out of the door, into the hallway, and right into the slim and muscular frame of her other half.

"I shouldn't have let you out of the closet."

"I was looking for you, Loki." She said, resting her head on his chest and kissing his neck. "I sat in the dark and thought of what I did, I thought about how I've treated you since you arrived. I never even said how happy I was to see you. Even in the smoke and chaos and the horror , I was glad you were there." He held her head lovingly in spite of himself and she continued. "I'm sorry, especially now that I've been before the tesseract… and seen the light."

"What did the light show you, Love?"

He asked, looking into her eyes as he lifted her face up to face him. She looked intently into his eyes, and was astonished not to recognize at all the person who looked back at her. In the dim light of the hall it was difficult to tell the difference in his eye color, but still these were not the eyes of the man she'd loved and knew. She feared they would never be again.

"It showed me what can never be. It made me realize the truth; you seem to want this Earth for your own, and I have to help you. I can see it very clearly now. I will not abandon you because I dislike what you endeavor towards."

She kissed him softly on the lips and he grinned.

"I should have sat you alone in a closet, ages ago." He said, linking their fingers together and leading her down the hall. "We will do this together, then."

"We will do this just as we are meant to, my Loki."

He nodded before pushing her roughly into the nearest wall as his eyes narrowed on her.

"What kind of a fool do you take me for, Woman?" He placed his forearm across her throat and ripped the earpiece out of her ear. "You've lost your aptitude for lying and charm in your time as a mortal."

She scowled at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her gasp for air. She wriggled under his arm and pushed him away with all her might. He didn't budge.

"That's nothing compared to what you've lost."

She managed the words, defiant and strong as ever, only now instead of finding this rebellious streak endearing Loki found it to be a horrible nuisance. He touched the point of the scepter to where her navel lied beneath the tight black fabric of her SHIELD uniform and sneered at her as he removed his arm from her throat. She watched in fear as the device shook a bit in his hand, he simply gripped it tighter.

"I cannot let you ruin this for me, and I suppose it would be too much to ask you to trust that what I'm doing is right?"

"What exactly are you doing, Loki, besides trying to overthrow an entire planet?"

"I'm building you a kingdom. These people need a leader; they're floundering in their aimless wander. I seek to unlock their potential. I will build them a world that can rival, or even best, Asgard. I'm giving them a future, why don't you see that?"

"They Do Not Want To Be Your Subjects, Loki. You Are Destroying Their World."

She suddenly felt ill, her stomach turned and she felt dizzy. A jolt of pure energy shot from her hands, knocking Loki back a few feet and causing the light in his scepter to flicker. She looked in astonishment at her hand, as a stunned Loki stared across the hall at her. She slid a bit down the wall, her body suddenly tired and weak.

"Sigyn," His voice trailed off as she stood up straight, holding her hand out before her, stopping him in his tracks as he approached. "I want to help you…"

"Stop all of this."

"I cannot. This is the answer to everything. I wish you could see that, I wish you would let the tesseract show you."

"It has shown me enough. It lies Loki. It is a storyteller, not a psychic." She pleaded with him with her tired eyes. "This will end badly for you, My Loki, but it is not too late for you to end this. There is nothing you have done yet that cannot be undone."

"Stop trying to save me, Sigyn. Help Me. I Need You."

He was still unable to move and in spite of himself he was astonished at the power of her abilities even as she felt weak and frail. She smiled a half smile and relented, suddenly too weak to hold up her arm any longer.

"You have me, Loki. I could not go anywhere if I tried."

As he pondered what to do with her next, a scientist rushed into the room.

"Selvig needs your advice Sigyn."

"You will address my wife as Your Godesship, Your Majesty, or at the very least, My Lady, or you will never again address anyone at all. Be gone peasant, the goddess will follow."

Loki's indignation at the disrespect he perceived was sincere and Sigyn almost laughed at the absurdity of it as she followed the scientist out of the hall back into the room with the tesseract. She ignored the faint feeling and nausea that lingered in her body and sighed; she would never become used to being powerless or relent in her attempts to stop the madness that surrounded her. She was certain of this as she resumed her place at Selvig's side and tried to shake the sensation that something within her was terribly wrong.

* * *

The hall stood packed once again with every citizen of Asgard eager to finally see the handsome, mighty Prince Thor crowned the King of Asgard. Thor paced to and fro before the doors of the hall, sweat dripping from his brow to the floor as he moved, Mjolnir uncharacteristically heavy in his hand, his crown feeling ridiculous on his head. Mercifully the tears that had come so frequently since the loss of his brother were not there. He heard the crowd roar with applause and assumed he had been announced, an assumption that was proven correct as the doors to the hall were opened.

He walked the aisles with none of the confident swagger he had before, at the coronation that now seemed like ages ago. He stood before the throne, not willing to kneel of his own accord. Frigga placed a hand of comfort on his shoulder as a haughty Sif looked out over the crowd, unable to meet his eyes.

"This is your destiny, Thor and destiny cannot be changed; no matter how we will it."

He touched his forehead to that of his mother and nodded his understanding. He climbed the stairs to the throne and stood before the king.

"Kneel, Boy." He said through clenched teeth in hushed tones. "The eyes of the kingdom are upon you."

"Father, this does not have to be."

"KN-" He stopped mid bellow and listened, the voice of his gatekeeper in his ear. His face went pale, his mind blank, his eyes glazed over then slowly began to water. "Impossible!"

He slid out of the throne and dropped to his own knees. Thor looked upon him in awe as the crowd gasped. Thor fell to his knees beside Odin as Frigga, Sif, and the warriors three rushed up the staircase to their aid. It was a moment before everyone realized Odin was doubled over with laughter, and the tears that streamed down his face were those of Joy.

"Father…What has happened?"

"My Son Is Alive!"

He stood towards the crowd and roused them with his joyful cry although they had no idea what he spoke of. Frigga collapsed on the floor in tears, as Thor looked up at his father his mouth agape.

"You cannot mean…"

"Loki lives, Thor. He Lives." He grinned as he clapped Thor upon the back. "Heimdall knows all, and so we shall go and see what all he knows. Come Along, Now!"

They walked side by side out of the hall, a very confused population staring after them and wondering if they would ever have the pleasure of seeing Thor crowned king.

As they rushed across the BiFrost, Thor was astonished to see the grimace upon Heimdall's face.

"There is a disturbance on Midgard. The prince and princess are there, together, but of course the princess is powerless, and Loki…"

"Loki cannot defend the earth alone." Odin spoke for his ever faithful guard, nodding his understanding as he did so. "Thor must go at once."

"Father!" Said Thor, an excited gleam in his eye. "I will not fail you."

"I have no doubt, boy. No doubt. Find your brother and sister, save the Midgardians, bring them both home. Our family has been separated far too long."

"Indeed."

Thor started towards the newly repaired portal, eager and giddy with excitement. He cared very little what waited for him upon the Earth for there was no force in the universe that he and Loki could not vanquish together. Odin grabbed his arm forcefully as he prepared to step into the light; the Allfather looked as though a brilliant idea had just dawned on him.

"Three gods would do better than two, would they not?"

"Indeed…would you come with me Father?"

"No, we cannot leave Asgard without a king…but Sigyn, her power could be restored to her."

"Wonderful, tell me how."

"Heimdall, do we have any time?"

"The disturbance has only just begun, my King. Time is of the essence, but there is a small window of it."

"That should be enough for Hugo and I. Come Thor, we must prepare; you will travel to Midgard at first light."

* * *

Steve dragged a new bag into the deserted gym and placed it on the hook. He'd let himself in, only turning on a few lights and had already wasted two bags in the subsequent hours he'd spent alone in the dim dingy gym with just a few beams of sunlight and the lingering smell of chlorine for company. He wanted it that way.

Despite his best efforts, he was sleeping far less than he ever had. Not that it mattered; it was just another side effect of the serum, just one more thing he had done that he could do no longer. He stared at the bag before him for a moment, a weary look in his eyes and took a deep breath before starting his assault upon it.

Since she and her husband had mysteriously disappeared, Steve had tried calling her every day. She never responded, he began to wonder if she had ever been real at all. Maybe the beautiful woman across the hall who pushed her way into his life just when he was at his loneliest was a figment of his imagination, a side effect of the serum, maybe he had lost his mind along with everything else.

His jabs and open handed smacks to the bag rung out loudly in the empty gym, his eyes focused on the bag, although he could no longer see it. Unwillingly he remembered all that had transpired in his life, the war, the serum, Bucky, the crash into the ice, most painful of all the loss of his time and chance with Peggy. He could suddenly hear her voice in his ear.

"You won't be alone."

His hands move more forcefully, the bag swung and swayed on its hook. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to block out the memory only to find it rapidly replaced with another; a voice just as loving in its tone and equally difficult to listen to.

"We're not alone any more, are we? We will always have each other…right?"

His mind quickly shifted back to Peggy, the compass with the picture of her beautiful face in it. He could remember her smile vividly, but he could not think of her without his mind wandering to Sigyn, or vice versa. The two women he loved stood clearly before him in his mind in all their beauty and the rage at losing both of them so suddenly and irrevocably sent a jolt of pure frustration through his body, which manifested itself as power.

The final blow to the bag once again caused it to end up busted open and bleeding sand onto the floor. The sound of the split in it had called him back to reality. He looked at the pitiful sight and caught his breath. He had not noticed how hard he'd been working. He shrugged as he lifted the now useless bag off its hook, and replaced it with a new one. Jonesy had been very understanding about the sudden need to order punching bags in bulk; he openly expressed his hopes that Steve would agree to let him train him.

As Steve began work on his new bag, he was startled a bit to hear a voice call to him from behind.

"Trouble sleeping?"

He recognized the voice immediately, it was distinct. He did not bother to turn around as he responded.

"I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill."

"Then you should be out celebrating, seeing the world."

He shook his head a bit as he sat on a bench and began to unwrap his hands. The idea of that intrigued him even less than Jonesy's notion to turn him into a boxer.

"I went under, the world was at war. I wake up they say we won," Fury noted the bewildered and confused expression on his face; he was a bit surprised to find the super soldier in such turmoil "they didn't say what we'd lost."

"We've made some mistakes along the way," Fury admitted, not entirely sure of how much Steve knew. "Some very recently."

"You here with a mission, sir?"

He asked in earnest for he needed to be preoccupied, he needed a way to get his mind off of the past and Sigyn, and the constant worry he felt not knowing where she was or what had become of her.

"I am."

"To get me back into the world?"

"To save it."

He listened as Fury explained about the tesseract, Howard Stark's retrieval of it and SHIELD's attempts to harness it as an energy source. He felt detached as he looked at the file Fury handed him.

"The world has gotten even stranger than you already know."

He said as he read the unimpressed look on Steve's face.

"At this point I doubt anything would surprise me."

His voice trailed off and he sighed, it didn't really matter what Fury said or did, or what the truth of the mission was, if the world was at stake he had little choice in the matter; he had to fight for it. Otherwise everything he'd lost, everything he'd sacrificed would have been for nothing.

"Ten bucks says your wrong. There's a debriefing package waiting for you in your apartment." Fury watched as Steve lifted a punching bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. "Is there anything you can tell us about the tesseract that we ought to know now?"

"You should have left it in the ocean."

* * *

**A/N: The next chapter is much more eventful I promise. Comment what you think about the story so far. **


	36. Chapter 35

She sat on a crate and watched as Barton and Selvig spoke to each other. She had no idea how much time had passed, for there were no windows anywhere and she paid no attention to the digital clocks on the devices all around her. Loki took a seat beside her, and much to her surprised held her hand in the utmost affection.

"Do you feel any better?"

He asked as they both continued to stare ahead at the workers in the lab. She gave a small shrug and looked down at the floor.

"I'm alright." He placed his scepter on the floor before him and leaned his head against it looking tired and slightly overwhelmed. "Conquest is exhausting isn't it?"

It felt strange and yet somehow completely natural to tease him, and read his emotions from his gestures and his expressions. His body language was still so obvious to her, she knew what every look and movement meant; he didn't have to say a word. His grasp on her hand was for security and reassurance, his relaxed posture was an attempt to battle his fatigue. He rested his forehead against his hand and smiled at her remark.

"Terribly." He admitted with a laugh that only she heard. "But it shouldn't take too much longer; the humans are a sorely undeveloped breed."

"I would not count on that," she said as Selvig beckoned for her to come and help him with something. "Excuse me for a moment, your majesty."

She stood and left as Loki chuckled at the disgust in her voice as she mocked him. She could be as mad as she wanted but she could not stop the plan from happening, at least not without killing hundreds of her colleagues and other people in the process.

He sneered to himself, very content with the chaotic scene that raced around him; everything was in motion and in the dim light of the underground tunnels Loki could see his plan progressing just as it was meant to. He had the tesseract safely in his possession, and therefore he had quite a bit of power in his hands, both figuratively and literally. He sat on the crate, watching the operation he had single-handedly put into place, and wondered how exactly to proceed.

It was an odd sensation that pulled him, one that seemed like a hook behind his ear that somehow lulled him to sleep and when he awoke just moments later he was in a familiar setting; the barren desolate wasteland of grey sand that was Chitauri. He masked his surprise at being there expertly and looked upon the other with the sneer of confidence and disdain that always hung on his face in his presence. The Other was unperturbed.

"It is good to see you in all your former glory, Asgardian."

"What is it Other? Why have you interrupted my work?"

He peered around, searching for the cloaked figure who had been there before, there was no sign of him anywhere now; he hoped their bargain still stood. His ability to interact freely with Sigyn was a good sign that The Other had been put into place by his supposed ally, but the fact that The Other had called him to Chitauri and now wore an impatient scowl upon his grotesque face did not bode well.

"The Chitauri grow restless."

"Let them go at themselves," he said in his non-chalant way and paced a little. He was relieved for some reason, the creature was obviously agitated and that meant he had no idea what was in store, or what to expect. He was glad to see his nemesis that way, all the power in the world would not make him forget what truly motivated him; his deep and intense desire to see the planet he stood upon utterly destroyed. "I will lead them into a glorious battle."

He rolled his eyes as The Other scoffed. His voice rasped and made Loki cringe with contempt.

"Battle? Against the meager might of earth?"

"Glorious, not lengthy." He smiled to himself as he met the eyes of The Other, his disdain as unmasked as ever. "If your force is as formidable as you claim."

His eyes flashed their signature green for a moment as he recognized the ire he raised within The Other. He almost laughed.

"You question us? You question HIM? He who put the scepter in your hand, who gave you ancient knowledge and new purpose when you were cast out? Defeated!"

The smile on Loki's face faded quickly and the light in his eyes darkned beneath his brow.

"I was a king!" He spat, looking with a fury of his own at the miserable creature that stood before him. He would not have his reign, however short it had been, reduced to nothing more than insult in the mouth of a being too inferior to accurately describe. "The rightful king of Asgard. Betrayed!"

The memory of it came flooding back to him instantly, being hurled off the Bifrost, rejected by Odin, and falling so long and so far. Everything had transpired since was a result of that moment. Everything. His mind raced through memories of all the many betrayals before that moment on the Bifrost, and he felt a rage settle upon his body unlike anything he had ever felt before; it did not provoke him to wrath, but rather to hate. He despised The Other and the Chitauri; he hated Odin and Thor. It was so clear now. The cold metal handle of the scepter he held suddenly felt warm in his hand, he glanced at it, even in the dark he could see the blue energy of his device glowing brighter.

"Your ambition is little; born of childish need." The Other rasped, his disappointment evident in his tone. "We look beyond the Earth, to worlds the tesseract has yet to unveil."

Loki's focus returned to The Other and the task at hand, Thor and Odin could wait. His expression softened as he processed what The Other had said; he was confused by his confidence, he spoke as if the cube were in his grasp.

"You don't have the tesseract yet." Loki said, almost asking a question. His confusion lifted quickly as the creature lunged for him. His strength had returned to him in full force; he wielded his scepter like the warrior prince he had been his entire life, and spoke with the thinly veiled venom and eloquence he was renowned throughout the universe for. "I do not threaten," he spoke as the creature stopped in its tracks, knowing full well what a blast from the weapon was capable of. "But until I open the doors, until your force is mine to command, you are but words."

The Other was visibly agitated, his exasperation evident even as he moved slowly and deliberately towards the Asgardian, who was still on alert though he had lowered his spear.

"You will have your war Asgardian. But if you fail, if the tesseract is kept from us, there will be no realm or barren moon, no crevice where _he_ cannot find you. You think you know pain?" The Other was close upon him now, speaking directly into his ear. Loki furrowed his brows as the reptilian hand of the Chitaurian leader touched his skin. "He will make you long for something as sweet as pain."

* * *

"We're about forty minutes out from base, Sir."

Said the pilot to the usually calm and collected Agent Coulson. Steve glanced up from the video he watched on the tablet and noticed the Agent fidgeting a bit with his seatbelt; he raised his eyebrow a bit and returned to the video, it had been quite a while since he'd encountered such an enthusiastic fan.

As the green monster smashed a tank on the small movie screen he held, Steve looked a little astonished, but unafraid. Coulson stood and approached him, Steve spoke, curious about the man in the video.

"So this Dr. Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?"

"A lot of people were," said Coulson, explaining with a certain amount of admiration in his voice "you were the world's first superhero! Banner thought the gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

The video showed the Hulk decimating a jeep. Steve frowned.

"Didn't really go his way, did it?"

"Not so much," said Coulson as he noticed the concerned look on Steve's face. "But when he's not that thing, though, guy's like a Steven Hawking." Steve stared blankly at the agent who was trying so hard to relate to him on a normal level. He appreciated the effort. "He's like a smart person. I gotta say, it is really an honor to officially meet you." Steve smiled in his modest way, humbled a little by the words. Clearly the agent was an important member of SHIELD, but Steve would have been flattered anyway. "I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping."

Steve looked down, the smile slowly and awkwardly fading from his face as he laid down the tablet and stood, walking to get a look out of the windows as the plane landed. The agent, now a bit flustered, followed him and continued to speak.

"I mean I was…present while you were unconscious from the ice…You know, really, it's just an honor, it's a huge honor to have you on board."

Steve sighed and narrowed his eyes as he gazed out onto the horizon. The landscape seemed to be the only thing that had not become unrecognizable.

"I just hope I'm the man for the job."

* * *

As he entered the magnificent interior off the helicarrier and fully took in the fact that they were flying invisibly thorough the air, Steve pulled a ten dollar bill out of his pocket and freely handed it to Nick Fury. The plane had landed and after his introduction to Miss Romanoff and Dr. Banner he'd been lifted into the sky from the middle of the ocean. It took him a moment to recover from the shock. He was glad to feel the sensation of surprise again; somehow this extraordinary occurrence made him feel normal. It reminded him of the effect Sigyn had on him.

Natasha eyed the Captain for a moment and thought she recognized the look of loss that lingered on his face for a brief moment. She quickly took in the scene around them, noticing everyone's movements and demeanor's, a force of habit and an instinct she could not shake, not that she wanted to. The devil was in the details and she tried to stay one step ahead of him if at all possible.

Her observant eyes lingered on the image of Clint Barton that popped up on a computer screen. She did not show the emotion it stirred within her outwardly at all. No one would ever know the worry she felt for her friend, or the determination she had to rescue him from the control of this Loki character. She listened as Coulson explained the work being done to locate him so far.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cell phones, laptops…if its connected to a satellite, its eyes and ears for us."

"That's still not going to find them in time."

She said in her matter of fact way, Dr. Banner nodded his agreement.

"You have to narrow the field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

Fury looked bewildered, but quickly recovered; once they knew what a spectrometer wa they would gain access to everyone on the planet or die trying if need be.

"How many are there?"

He asked. Dr. Banner spoke in a calm quiet voice. Steve found it hard to believe that within this man was the beast he'd seen on film.

"Call every lab you know," he said, speaking with authority but not at all in an arrogant way "tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them to gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places. Do you have some where for me to work?"

Natasha followed Fury's orders and led Bruce down the halls to his lab. She almost smiled as she opened the door, anticipating the amazement on his face.

"You're going to like it here, Doc, we got all the toys."

* * *

She looked over readings on the energy levels of the tesseract and was dumbfounded, they proved conclusively her suspicions, the only uptakes in its energy outputs were times when she was nearby. She squinted her eyes and shook her baffled head, wondering what the connection between her and the cube could possibly be. She looked down at her still gloved hands, she had tried everything she could think of to remove them, but this leather was attached to her hands by magic, Loki's magic, and in her mortal state she could not undo it. She sighed and looked up from the perplexing work to find Barton and Selvig speaking to one another just as Loki approached the lab. He looked more pale than usual, something she had not really believed possible, but still totally confident and in control of the situation. Before she could walk around the table she was sidelined by a sudden turn in her stomach, the lingering nausea she felt suddenly becoming violent. She gripped the edge of the table and hung her head in an effort to keep herself from retching.

"Are you sick, my lady?"

Asked a concerned scientist, she shooed him away and looked around. Loki spoke to Barton and Selvig and had not noticed her condition. She wanted to hear every word of what they said to one another.

"The tesseract is showing me so much," exclaimed the eager scientist to the man who controlled his brilliant mind. "It is more than just knowledge; it's truth."

"I know," Loki replied as he looked up at him with a genuine smile. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"

Sigyn watched as her colleague and friend tinkered with the tablet he held in his hands, and was sad to hear him speak his next words.

"My next target."

He said with a satisfied smirk upon his face as he looked down at the screen. She stayed quiet and continued to listen despite the queasiness of her stomach and the dizzy feeling that had returned to her head.

"Tell me what you need."

Loki stood beside Barton and listened intently as he spoke.

"I'll need a distraction," Sigyn's eyes squinted as he picked up his bow, "and an eyeball."

Loki grinned, Sigyn ignored the odd sensations in her body and slowly made her way off the platform of the laboratory and back to the crate she'd been sitting on before. None of the men noticed as she did so.

"Any eyeball, or is there one in particular?"

Loki asked and acted as though he was more intrigued by the idea of stealing an eye than he had been about the tesseract.

"A very particular eyeball, one that opens the door to the room that houses the iridium we need."

"Splendid, who and where is this particular eye we need to retrieve?"

"According to this satellite imaging system I just hacked into….Stuttgart Germany."

Loki grinned even broader and placed his hands behind his back.

"Very well then, to Germany, a land not at all unfamiliar with the antics of my people."

As Loki and Barton turned to leave, Sigyn sprung into action. She let her body go completely limp and slid off the crate, face forward.

"Your Goddesship!"

Cried Selvig, rushing to the side of the goddess and turning her over; Loki walked over and kneeled beside her.

"Sigyn. Sigyn, open your eyes." Her lids fluttered a bit before she opened them completely. She hardly had to try to feign her exhaustion, and added a confused and naive look to her face before she met Loki's eyes. "What happened, Woman?"

"I have no idea, I was sitting on the crate and then…"

"Barton, ready the helicopters and take flight the moment you can. I will travel on my own once the Goddess is settled."

Barton nodded and quickly took off to ready travel to Germany. Loki ran an affectionate hand across her face and looked intently into her eyes.

"I'm so tired, Loki."

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, he knitted his eyebrows together in concern and thought to lift her into his arms before remembering the scepter he held. He could not bear to part with it for any length of time, but especially not long enough to carry her to a bed and so instead he summoned a guard to lift his wife from the ground. He led them down a hall into a room she recognized as the one she had ducked into before, only now it housed a luxurious bed and was nicely lit. She continued to play sick and tired as the guard laid her on the bed then dutifully and hurriedly left the room. As Loki approached the bed he spoke softly.

"How do you feel now?"

It was impossible not to feel relieved and find comfort in the fact that he still cared about her. She let her head rest on the pillows behind her and pushed her hair behind her ears.

"I don't know"

"Are you yourself again?"

She shook her head no, although in reality she was unwilling to admit to herself that she was actually quite dizzy and tired.

"I must go. You rest and I will instruct the guards not to disturb you at all. I'll check on you as soon as I return."

She nodded. His eyes were still so very wrong, and his scepter was still clutched tightly in his hand, but in the moment as he looked down upon her with his face full of concern and his demeanor conflicted about leaving she grabbed his arm out of instinct and tugged at his sleeve.

"Loki, please, hear me, listen to me. Stay here. It is still not too late." She loosened her grip as he continued to walk away. "Please, see reason."

"You are my reason. I made you promises, Woman, and I intend to keep them all. All will be fine in the end, I assure you. Rest."

He was out of the door without a glance back in her direction, and the moment the door closed completely behind him, Sigyn sprung into action. Ignoring the odd sensations in her body once again, she mustered what energy she had left to clothe herself in invisibility. She wanted nothing more than to curl up on the large bed with its plush bedding and sleep, but that was absurd. Loki was on the move, endeavoring towards the next phase of the plan, and she would be there to stall it at the very least.

She was impressed with herself as she fully maintained her invisibility and moved her body directly through the wall and into the corridor beside it. She had assumed correctly that Loki would place guards at her door, and so she carefully tiptoed past them. Invisibility here was not at all what it was on Asgard, here the invisible left foot prints, made sound and were solid to the touch, if anyone bumped into her she would be instantly found out. She hurried down the hall as quickly as she dared and followed Loki who led a few last minute stragglers to the only remaining helicopter.

She climbed in quickly after the last passenger and clung to the doorframe for dear life on the long ride through the air. Loki had apparently decided to materialize instead of flying; she loathed the fact that she could no longer do the same. The shaking of the helicopter did little to ease her stomach, and the loud mechanical whir of its blades made her dizzy head ache, but still she felt much better than she had in the tunnels. She chalked it up to the fresh air that wafted through the door vehicle. She would not dwell on the pain that lingered within her; she had to focus to stay unseen.

Mercifully the helicopter landed in a discreet location in what she could only assume was Germany. Barton approached the men, who stood at attention as he addressed them. Sigyn lurked completely unseen, always two steps directly behind Clint, watching his every move.

"We're headed out now, Master. The party doesn't begin for an hour, that should give us plenty of time to arrive."

Clint finished briefing Loki and headed to a jeep, Sigyn's eyes rolled, there was no way she could get in without anyone noticing, or sitting on, her. She climbed as lightly as she could to the top of the vehicle and laid on the roof, grasping its edges for dear life as the vehicle rolled down German streets.


	37. Chapter 36

He stood at the top of the staircase and gave his attire a glance over in the glass windows on the wall nearby; he found himself handsome, the mortals had a flair for fashion he could say that much about them. The observation quickly left his mind however as he began to descend the stairs. His focus was firmly on the tasks at hand.

It had taken Sigyn no time at all to know what was happening at the museum. She leapt off the roof of the jeep as it sped past the front entrance of the museum. She mercifully was able to maintain her invisibility as she rolled onto the ground, then rushed unseen through the front doors and past the well dressed guests in the hall. Her eyes swept the crowd for Loki. It was a testament to the oblivious nature of the party's attendees that no one noticed when she appeared in their midst, seemingly out of thin air; she felt her energy draining, and reasoned she would need as much of it as she could manage to fight against whatever Loki had planned for these people. She ignored the quizzical expressions of the women and slack jawed gawking that the men sent in her direction. A skintight suit looked uncomfortable and wholly out of place at this gala event, but in reality it was a uniform perfectly suited to the unpredictable and physicality driven work of SHIELD agents.

Loki was leisurely descending the staircase in his easy and nonchalant way while Sigyn had only made it to about the middle of the hall, built of white stone and glass and filled with priceless valuables; relics of the human world. She watched him come, a staff in his hand with a familiar blue glow, and hurried her pace through the crowd. She recognized the look on his face and cringed as he stepped off the final stair and sent his staff crashing into the head of the guard who stood nearby. The frenzy that surrounded her was immediately like a sea of terrified mortals that enveloped her, making it nearly impossible to go in the direction they fled from.

His preoccupation with his purpose for disrupting the party made him completely unaware of the presence of his wife in the room. He snatched the doctor he sought from the podium he stood upon and slammed him forcefully onto the nearest display case, a marble table. Sigyn watched in horror and frustration as she attempted to elbow and push her way through the terrified crowd. She froze those in her immediate way in their tracks and pushed their still bodies to the side, the others in the rapidly emptying hall took no time to notice.

She was dismayed by the sight of Loki extracting an eyeball from the man he'd pinned to the table but she recovered quickly. She unfroze those she'd paralyzed and listened as they sped out into the streets. She felt a familiar warm surge through her body as she grabbed her husband by his shoulder and pushed him to the ground, knocking the device he'd jammed into the man's eye out of his hand as she did so. She looked upon the poor human, his motionless body sprawled across the table and wondered what if anything she could do for him. Loki, stunned at her strength and her presence in the room, stood and shook himself off. There was homicidal rage in his eyes, he grabbed Sigyn by her hair and yanked her roughly away from the body pushing her to the floor.

They met eyes for a moment before they both lunged for the device. Sigyn kicked Loki across the floor a bit before he reached it. He grabbed her foot and dragged her back as she tried to grasp it. She rolled onto her back and kicked him in his forehead, he crawled atop her, trying to pin her down with his staff. She placed both her hands on it and tried to wrestle it out of his hands.

They rolled all over the white granite floor, which sparkled and gleamed beneath them in the bright light of the museum hall. They struggled, pushing and pulling and yanking the scepter between them. Sigyn growled and bit Loki's fingers. He loosened his grip on the scepter long enough for her to snatch it away. She resisted the urge to bash his head in with it, instead she kneed him in the stomach as hard as she could and rolled from under him.

As she stood she looked down at the spear, into its blue light. The metal of it suddenly burned white hot in her hand, the gloves did nothing to stop the burns she felt. Loki took her moment of weakness as an opportunity. He called the spear to him with magic and with a wave of his hand sent Sigyn into the air, throwing her across the room.

She hit the white stone wall with force that sent a deafening crack though the now empty hall. She slid to the floor and stood slowly, attributing the lack of pain she felt to adrenalin and shock. Her left arm dangled at an odd angle at her side, she did not see or feel it. Her body shook with emotion, her heart pounded and her head throbbed. She strode back across the room to where he stood.

He stooped to lift his device from the ground; Sigyn hid it from his sight at the last instant and called it to her, holding it out to him with the hand she could move and control.

"Here it is, your majesty.'

"Give it to me, Woman."

"Come and take it."

"It is of little consequence now anyway. I've got what I need from it."

"Well then. "

She grasped the device and then reopened her hand, the shattered pieces of it fell to the ground like shards of glass. Loki rolled his eyes and glared at her. She smiled, feeling blood trickle down her forehead as she did so. She hated to bleed. She resented deeply the fact that he had made her bleed.

Before she knew what happened she sent a wave of pure energy in his direction, throwing him into the staircase behind him. He rose from it, she ducked as he fired his staff in her direction; a second blast narrowly missed her head. She shook the ground he stood upon as he prepared to fire again. The shaking was violent; he held onto the rail of the stairs with one hand and held his staff with the other. His body swayed as the ground quaked and jolted everything in the room except for Sigyn. The walls began to crack, the ceiling began to fall in large pieces around them, and all Loki could do was marvel at the power of his wife, even as she stood before him broken and bleeding.

As he lost his balance he fell to his knees, he saw the cracks in the walls deepen, and knew the foundation of the building was shaking apart.

"Sigyn! The building is falling! You'll kill us both if you don't stop this!"

She came to her senses and realized this was pure rage emanating from her body. The quake stopped just long enough for Loki to regain his footing. Suddenly she was upon him, her hand around his throat, clenching it tightly between her still gloved fingers. He had never experienced her wrath before; she was formidable in that moment.

He overcame his awe and backhanded her with his free hand, she stumbled a bit, her hand still clenched on his throat. She spoke in a voice he didn't recognize.

"Surely you can do better than that, Your Majesty."

He transformed his staff back into a spear and pressed its tip into her side, she ignored it, grasping his neck more tightly and raising him a bit off the ground. His eyes widened as he attempted to speak.

"You made vows to me. You swore yourself to me...forev-"

She gripped his neck tighter to shut him up, she locked eyes with him and watched as the glow in them dimmed. He placed his free hand tightly around her neck, letting go with a silent scream as his fingers burned at the touch of her skin. She smiled at his facial expression.

And then she felt it, the sharp pain of the spear piercing deeply into her side. She loosened her grip on his neck, her expression bewildered as his eyes narrowed into a shocked expression of his own. The scepter shook forcefully in his hand; though he tried he could not pull it out. As it shook the blade traveled deeper and deeper into her side. She clenched his shoulder with the hand of her unbroken arm and began to fall. She grit her teeth together, he held her in his arms as he caught her, leading her gently to the ground. The scepter's light flickered and as her blood spilled on to it nearly dimmed all together, it stopped shaking long enough for Loki to pull it out. She cried out softly as he did. He looked down on her, now helpless and bleeding profusely. He watched her eyelids lower and her breathing slow. He waited a moment, expecting himself to break down and be overcome with emotion.

But he didn't. He was detached. Sigyn was lying on the floor dying and he felt indifferent. He waved a hand over the scepter and cleaned away the blood. It immediately glowed bright blue again. He felt relieved to see its brightness return.

"You should have stayed out of it, woman. I warned you."

He turned and walked across the hall, his eyes focused on the crowd that gathered outside.

* * *

She could no longer ignore the pain in her entire body, the shock and adrenalin had worn off. She laid on her back and held her hand over the wound, blood poured through her fingers. The wound did not heal. Her head was light, her heartbeat slowed, her body began to feel oddly heavy. She was too weak to appropriate. She her eyes began to lose focus, she felt very tired and suddenly freezing cold. She remembered the look on his face as he stared down at her. He was indifferent to what happened to her now. She realized she no longer cared very much about him either. It all seemed so unimportant now; their happiness and devotion were just feelings, their moments together were just memories and their vows to one another were just words. She mustered what energy she could and drug herself painstakingly across the floor, stopping at the body of the doctor. With great effort and a frustrated grunt she pulled the body, heavy with dead weight, to the floor next to her, and breathed heavily with exhaustion as she tore his shirt from his body.

She remembered the wounds James had suffered in the alley, and how they'd slowed the bleeding then long enough for him to make it to the hospital before he died. As she ripped the shirt before her and stuffed the pieces as deeply as she could into her wound she bit her lip at the excruciating pain. Her body shivered, still cold and weak, but she was spurred on by the screams she heard from outside; she saw flashes of light in the windows, and worried for the people. Loki was insane and on a mission, she doubted there was any force on Earth that could stop him.

But she had to try, for she believed with all her heart that eventually the humans would fight back and she would be at their side fighting with them if she could. She tied the remaining strips of the fabric around her wound and laid on her back on the floor. She waited for her energy to return, it did not. She held her hand over the wound, expecting it to heal, it did not. She sighed, her one arm still dangling from her side, her entire body in excruciating pain. It mattered very little. She stood up slowly from the ground and leaned against the glass case. Her eyes wandered around the room, taking in the damage she'd done. The walls and floors were cracked, littered with pieces of the ceiling and the relics that had fallen during her quake. One relic in particular caught her eye, a broadsword laid upon the ground, the metal of its blade deep ebony black that gleamed as the light touched it. Its handle was a striking silver, it's emblem a skull, with blood red sapphires where its sunken eyes should have been. She recognized Nightsword immediately, though she knew it could not be real; Hela would never allow her precious blade out of her sight for a moment, let alone allow it to be upon the Earth and let the Earth go on spinning.

She limped slowly towards it, kneeling to lift it with great effort. She had never wielded a sword in her life. Now she intended to do it with one hand and as she bled to death. She shakily held it up before her and then readjusted her footing. She remembered the jabs Steve had taught her, and more importantly the hook. She imagined the sword, heavy and sharp, as just an extension of her hand, a fist more deadly than her natural one. She smirked.

She stood as straight as she could and walked out of the hall, twirling the sword by its handle in circles and leaving drops of blood on the floor in her wake.

* * *

Loki looked over the crowd of people and spoke in a tone he thought they would appreciate. Now that they all kneeled before him he could address them properly. He felt the warmth of his scepter, the glow of its light now radiating through his body; it made it clear to him what to say.

"Is this not simpler?" He asked, walking slowly through the crowd who cowered at his feet. He grinned his reassurance to them; as long as they obeyed they would not be harmed. "Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. "

Sigyn made her way slowly down the many stairs towards him, her eyes full of murderous intent as they bored into his back. No one noticed the bleeding woman with the huge sword limping towards the scene; they were all focused on the Lokis that surrounded them at every turn.

"The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity." He continued, as she approached Sigyn could imagine the smug grin on his face; she limped a little faster, her eyes trained at the tiny peek of pale flesh she could see at the back of his neck. She twirled the sword a little faster and limped as quickly as she could manage, motivated by the image of that golden horned head rolling at her feet. "You were made to be ruled. In the end you will always kneel."

There was only a ledge and a few more stairs between her and Loki. She grimaced at his last words to the crowd, at the weakness he showed by taunting these powerless beings with his superiority. A god using humans as playthings, striking fear into their fragile hearts unprovoked was a sight that turned her stomach once again. She felt the respect she'd once had for her husband leave her, almost as literally as the blood that trickled down her body.

She started to hurry her pace with the little energy she had left, but instead stopped all together at the sight before her. She saw an average sized man, an older gray haired gentleman, stand from the crowd. Her heart rose and immediately sank with worry. She was motionless as the man spoke.

"Not to men like you."

His face was resolved, a bit disgusted and his tone was strong and heroic. Sigyn looked upon him in awe. She came back to her senses as she heard Loki's voice. He mocked the man, smirking as he replied to the earnest bravery of the noble human.

"There are no men like me."

She rolled her eyes, trying to remember how she had ever loved anyone arrogant enough to actually say those words. She knew from his tone that Loki intended to harm the man, that he would use him as an example, she moved as quickly as she could towards him, a few eyes lingered on her as she approached, including the eyes of the brave old man. She mouthed 'stay calm' to those who looked to her; they nodded their understanding unbeknownst to Loki or his clones.

"There are always men like you."

Said the man, not missing a beat at Sigyn's approach. She frowned as she tried to move even faster, ignoring the sharp and jarring pains in her wound as she felt the bandages around her body loosening. She was no wear near close enough to come between Loki and the man. She resisted the urge to call to him as he spoke and raised his scepter. The air in the night was cool, the street dark and the crowd silent. Loki spoke in a non-chalant tone in the rigid and tense atmosphere he'd created. But Sigyn lost sight of all of it as the scene reeled before her.

"Look to your elder people. Let him be an example."

She collapsed to the ground as the crowd gasped. She lifted herself to her hands and knees just in time to see a blur of red white and blue, a bright light, and then Loki landing on his back a few feet away from her. He was too shocked to notice her there. Sigyn looked to the direction of the blur.

She almost laughed to see him standing there, but like Loki he didn't notice her in the crowd. He was too preoccupied with approaching Loki.

"You know the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

She closed her eyes tightly at the sound of his voice. She lifted herself into a kneeling position and inched herself closer to where they stood.

"The Soldier. The man out of time."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

The whir of engines sounded as a SHIELD aircraft hovered above them. Agent Romanoff's voice echoed into the streets. Loki ignored her order to drop his weapon, fired his scepter at the aircraft, took Steve's shield to the gut and began to fight him hand to hand.

Sigyn stood to her feet and motioned for the crowd to move out of the way. Romanoff eyed the injured SHIELD agent from the aircraft, wondering who else Fury would have sent in on their own. The woman limped and drug a sword with the one hand she could move. She stifled her curiosity and went back to the task at hand.

Loki commanded Steve to kneel, Steve roundhouse kicked him. Loki once again pinned Steve to the ground and took a moment to gloat.

"I've wanted to kill you for quite a while now,_ Steve_."

He placed the scepter to Steve's chest and as he rambled on, Sigyn broke from the crowd and rushed up from behind. She placed the cold metal tip of the broadsword on the one exposed bit of flesh at his neck. She pressed the sharp point lightly into his skin, and immediately saw a drop of red against the black blade.

"You die where you stand, once and for all, if you harm him in any way."

He flared his nostrils and sighed in frustration. Suddenly loud and rambunctious music filled the air. Sigyn saw Loki tense, anticipating a distraction he could use to his advantage, she moved the blade in a flash from the nape of his neck, to the front of his throat and pinned his body against hers. As Steve stood and collected himself, he froze. Even in the bloody condition she was in he recognized her, he would know that face anywhere.

Despite being pinned between Sigyn and Nightsword, Loki still held fast to his scepter. The source of the music landed next to a flabbergasted Steve. Sigyn squinted her eyes and contorted her face into a quizzical expression; a metal man stood before her. He looked like a guard from the wandering plane, or perhaps even the Tin Man from Oz, but neither one of them could fly she thought to herself. Her mind was lingering on things that were absurd; delirium was setting in.

"Stand down, Nikita." Said the metal man, as he exposed the arsenal of weaponry cleverly hidden inside his body. Sigyn gladly released her hold on Loki and backed slowly to the side and out of the way, leaning on Nightsword for support as her body suddenly weakened and her heart beat began to slow. "Make a move, reindeer games."

Sigyn was unsurprised to see Loki surrender, removing his armor and relenquishing his spear. Her eyes wandered to Steve, who's eyes darted from Sigyn to Loki and back to Sigyn, his confused expression softening as he saw the blood dripping from her waist.

"Mr. Stark."

He said, absentmindedly as he started towards Sigyn.

"Captain."

Replied the Tin Man. Sigyn smiled as she thought of the Tin Man. She was suddenly back in the theater with Steve watching the silver man sing about his heart. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she felt herself falling.

"Sigyn!"

Cried Steve.

"Who?"

Asked Tony.

"The Phenomenon?"

Said Natasha, her voice intrigued.

"Miss Romanoff we need to get her aboard the aircraft, right now."

"Of course."

* * *

**A/N: I know its short. I'm trying to write shorter chapters to update the story more often, hope you don't mind. Thanks for the follows and faves. Comments help me write me better so feel free to post whatever you think. **


	38. Chapter 37

Yordis stood before the full length looking glass in the cold damp cave and shivered as the spray of the waters off the coasts of Asgard misted against her exposed skin. The sleeveless gown she wore billowed a little at her legs, her face was bright red from the freezing atmosphere of the cave, but she dared not move: her mistress would surely call to her soon.

The glass of the mirror was pliant and supple, it moved in a fluid motion with the confines of the golden edges of the mirror. It's elegance was strikingly out of place in the dark and dreary cave.

Yordis' eyes widened in excitement as the wavelike motion of the mirror's glass began to swirl. Suddenly he image of her mistress looked out of the glass at her. She frowned at her disciple, the scraggly and frail appearance of her, and her lip curled in disgust; Hela was not the sympathetic type.

"There is much I have to speak to you of, My Lady."

"And yet you do it think to bow in my presence: the presence of the one who saved your wretched soul and gave you the power to subdue your enemies."

"Forgive me, Mistress. I have forgotten myself." She immediately fell to her knees in worship, not noticing the disdainful eyeroll the goddess exercised as she did so. "You are greatness personified, and the most powerful being in all the realms."

"Indeed. How fare ye in your endeavors, my child?"

Yordis' head lifted quickly at the sound of Hela's voice; she seemed genuinely interested.

"They go so slowly, my goddess. The powers you've endowed me with sustain me and yet, I am unable to proceed with my plans in the manner in which I had hoped."

"_We_ had hoped. Forget not that you act upon my behalf; your plans are my plans and likewise your failures are mine as well... I have bestowed power and will take it, and life, if I am not made satisfied."

"Your wrongs are my wrongs, My Goddess," she said, looking up from her kneeled position into the face of her savior. "and your enemies my enemies. I will destroy the houses of Odin and Iwaldi both...I thought I had done so, but it appears that the other prince, the dark prince, lives."

Hela's eyes narrowed, a scowl crossed her face then quickly faded; she detested set backs almost as much as she detested this Asgardian's underestimation of her knowledge.

"I've realized this. I was informed by a true friend of mine that the prince lived some time ago...and the daughter...I've never lost sight of her, I could not if I tried..."

Her voice trailed off and her fingers traced the rim of her now empty sword sheath; being without her beloved broad sword was a discomfort, a vulnerability the likes of which she rarely felt, but the sword was needed on Earth far more than in Hel. She felt a strange and most unwelcome sensation as she remembered the desperation she'd seen the daughter, her fellow goddess, in. She forgot it as the shivering Asgardian spoke to her.

"I will yet bring her destruction to you. And her head if you wish, my lady."

Hela's eyes flashed red and orange much like the flame ridden atmosphere of her realm; Yordis resisted the urge to cringe as the goddess spoke in deep and menacing tones

"You will not harm the daughter, my child. You will leave her to me; the debt must be paid and the potential harnessed. She is mine." Her black eyes gleamed, her green and black attire seemed to shimmer as she sneered at her disciple. "Tell me of your progress, my child, and I will tell you how to proceed."

* * *

Thor paced the floor of Hugo's sorcery chambers and looked impatiently over at his father and the brilliant tutor from time to time. They were working closely on a potion of some kind. He had not bothered to listen as they attempted to explain it to him; his heart has pumping too fast, his mind going even faster. His brother was alive, and the Earth was in danger, he had little ability to think of anything else.

"That should do it." Hugo said, holding up the glass bottle of royal blue potion. "She should be restored to her former glory after she ingests this."

Odin nodded and narrowed his eyes on his son as Thor snatched the tiny glass bottle from the tutor and rushed towards the door.

"THOR." He bellowed, stopping the prince in his tracks. He sighed an exasperated sigh as he turned around slowly. "Use care, and good judgement. Keep your mind on the task at hand. Stay away from the human."

"Of course Father."

Traveling through the light out of Asgard was a thrill Thor could hardly appreciate at the moment. His heart was heavy, for Heimdall spoke in his detached monotone about the events that had occurred upon the earth. What he had seen did not bode at all well for Loki and though the noble gatekeeper had been slow to speak ill of his brother, it seemed to Thor that he was the architect of the disturbance. Heimdall directed the portal to the air that the vehicle that transported Loki on Earth flew through, moments later Thor burst into their atmosphere with a roar, the power of thunder and lightning streaming behind him through the night sky.

* * *

Her unconscious body lied on the floor of the aircraft, Steve bent over her, working diligently to stop the bleeding with the box of medical supplies aboard the ship. Her breathing was faint, his hands flew at a rapid pace. It was effortless for him to tear apart the fabric of her now blood soaked uniform.

"Her arm's broken pretty bad." Tony said, a concerned look upon his face as he stood a safe distance away. "Who is she by the way?"

Steve glared in his direction, too intent on saving her life to field his pointless questions.

"You could help me, you know."

"In this outfit?"

Steve barely heard the quip as he poured alcohol onto the wound, cleaning away the dried blood there. He looked hopefully into Sigyn's face, praying the sting of the substance against the cut would jolt her awake. She didn't move a muscle.

"Damn It." He muttered, drying the area carefully and packing it with as much gauze as he could. Tony watched the old man work; he clearly cared a lot for this woman, whoever she was. "Hold This." Though he resented the tone in Steve's voice, he bent to the ground next to him and held a clean bandage over her wound. "Lift her up."

Tony placed his iron clad hand under her back and carefully lifted her from the floor. Her head rested against his armor, he looked into her face; she was really actually very beautiful. He hardly had to wonder why Steve was so adamant about saving her.

"She needs blood."

He said absentmindedly, noticing the pallor of her skin, and the cold read of her body temperature as it pressed against the suit. Steve looked up from the bandage he wrapped tightly around her body.

"She'll be fine. She'll hold on. She'll wake up and heal herself."

He continued to wrap the rest of the bandage around her then pulled her body out of Tony's arms and into his own. He sat with his back against the wall of the plane and held her face in his hands.

"I seriously doubt she'll be waking up anytime soon without a blood transfusion…and a pretty serious morphine drip…and stitches, lots and lots of stitches."

Tony said, standing up from his kneeled position and turning to face Steve. The captain held the woman's face in his hands, his own face twisted into a worried scowl. He held her by the jaw and shook her head from side to side as he spoke loudly to her.

"Sigyn, Sigyn. Wake Up. Come On Doll. I Know You Can Hear Me! Open Your Eyes."

He took a moment to check her pulse, suddenly becoming frantic after he felt a very faint beat at her neck. He shook her head more vigorously. Tony turned away from the heartbreaking scene, only to turn back a moment later, his conscience getting the best of him.

"She's a pretty tough character, I guess. Sneaking up on the deer hunter over there with a mortal would and that massive sword. Unbelievable really, and for a person without an immaculately well built and equipped suit of armor especially. Unheard of." He kneeled at her side and took her vitals with his hand. He read them quickly and looked at Steve. "Her blood pressure's rising."

His expression instantly became more hopeful.

"How do you know? How can you tell?"

"It's all in the suit, Cap."

"Really?"

Steve's eyes widened as he tried to comprehend what that could possibly mean. Tony suppressed an eye roll.

"Yes. It appears she will live, that is if you stop trying to snap her neck. You should really take it easy on her, you know, she's had a rough night." Tony gestured to an empty seat nearby them. "Let's sit her over there, elevating the wound will help her heart rate speed up."

Steve nodded and lifted Sigyn, positioning her in the seat as Tony melted the mechanisms at the back of the chair with a small beam of heat from his hand causing it to recline into a much more comfortable position.

During the entire exchange, Loki kept his eyes focused out of the window. He could not, would not, look in her direction. The apathy he'd felt before had waned slightly, he had never seen her lie so still. Not to mention the rage he felt as the human held her so lovingly, working so diligently to rescue her.

He did not remember stabbing her at all. He could not believe he would ever do that. His conflict of emotions bubbled deftly under the façade of calm and serenity he projected to the world. No one on the plane would have believed it was his one and only love, his soulmate, on the floor barely clinging to her life. He sat, tied and bound to the uncomfortable chair and looked suspiciously at the clouds that had suddenly gathered around them.

"Said anything?"

Fury asked Natasha through her earpiece as she steered the plane through the sudden fog of clouds.

"Not a word."

"Just get him here." Fury replied, his voice even, yet somehow still urgent. "We're low on time."

Steve turned himself away from Sigyn once he was convinced that she was breathing alright on her own and let his gaze fall upon Loki. He stood off in the corner, watching him sit there completely indifferent over what had happened to his wife.

He did not attempt to process the fact that Sigyn was married to this monster or to imagine what that made her. He had a million questions for her, and intended to get an answer for everyone of them, but the time for that was later, the first thing was for her to wake up and be alright. And so he let his mind wander on the situation at hand, the fact that Loki, whose spear was as powerful as any weapon on Stark's suit, had surrendered with such graciousness and now sat quietly aboard their ship, docile as a lamb. This was a man who'd duplicated himself into hundreds of clones and made his clothes appear and disappear at will; Steve seriously doubted the ropes that bound him were too much for him to get out of.

"I don't like it."

He said as Stark stood next to him.

"What? Rock of ages giving up so easily?"

He spoke carefully, not wanting Stark or anyone else to know or assume he knew any more than they did about Loki or more importantly Sigyn.

"I just don't remember it ever being that easy, and this guy packs a wallop."

"Still you are pretty spry for an older fellow." Tony spoke with an arrogant smirk on his face. Steve grimaced; it was hardly the time for jokes. "What's your thing, Pilates?" Steve shook his head; once again he had no idea what the Iron Man was talking about. "It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a few things, you know, doing time as a capsicle."

The self amused smile remained on Stark's face as Steve focused his eyes on him. He grinned a little broader at the thoroughly un-amused expression he wore. Steve was annoyed and suspicious of the self absorbed little man who flew in out of nowhere on a mission that was supposed to be top secret.

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

Tony clearly heard the accusatory tone in his voice, though it hardly bothered him at all.

"Yeah. There's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

The wispy clouds that rolled in were a small nuisance to Natasha, but it was the thunderstorm that appeared before them all of a sudden that confused her.

"Where's this coming from?"

She wondered aloud. Behind her, Loki leaned forward and gazed out of the window, looking apprehensive at the sight and sound of the storm. Steve noticed his unease.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?"

"I'm not overly fond of what follows…."

The words were hardly out of his mouth before the entire aircraft shooked. The lights flickered briefly, and everything aboard jostled a bit, the door flung open, and faster than anyone could move or think, a blur entered the craft, grabbed the prisoner by his throat and flew off the ship. It was as though the ties that bound him weren't even there. Steve stood with his mouth agape, totally speechless, Tony just the opposite.

"Now theres that guy."

He quipped, with an epically annoyed eyeroll. He started towards the still open door as Natasha asked.

"Another Asgardian?"

"Do you think he's a friendly?"

Steve asked, the shock of what happened wearing off as his well trained body prepared itself to do battle.

"Doesn't matter;" Said Stark preparing to jump from the plane "If he kills Loki or frees him, the tesseract is lost forever."

"Stark," He said in a commanding tone that annoyed Tony at least as much as the arrival of the other Asgardian "we need a plan of attack."

He tried to reason with the man, finding it dubious that someone would just jump out of a plane without any idea of what to do on the ground.

"I have a plan: Attack."

And with that he was gone, off into the dark night sky. Steve watched after him for a moment, then turned to look at Sigyn. If she were awake and in her right mind she would have off of the plane long before Stark. He grabbed a parachute and quickly strapped it on. Natasha noticed and smiled, his bravery was not exaggerated.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap."

He looked a bit taken aback and thought it about it for a split second before responding.

"I don't see how I can…"

She shook her head at his response then continued in her matter of fact tone.

"These guys come from legend; they're basically gods."

Steve took his turn to shake his head and spoke in a fact based tone all his own as he prepared to jump.

"There's only one God maam…and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."


	39. Chapter 38

Her eyes opened slowly to a bright white light, as her face frowned she moved to shield her eyes from the glare, only to find her hands shackled to the rails of the bed she laid upon. As her attention fell to her wrists, the light moved out of her face and the soft and gentle voice of a man filled her ears.

"You're awake; you're stronger than you look. "

She lifted her eyes and scowled in his direction. He did not take note of her displeased look; instead he monitored the blinking, beeping, mechanized machines that were near the bed. She noticed the wires that led from her body, chest, nose, and forehead, to the machines he looked so interested in. She removed the oxygen mask from her mouth, a bit bewildered by it as she did so, and spoke in harsh tones to the slightly disheveled man.

"Who are you, where am I, and why have you taken me prisoner?"

"_I_ haven't taken you prisoner, this is the SHIELD helicarrier."

Her expression softened into one of surprise and disappointment.

"So I am their prisoner."

Her teeth were clenched tightly together as she spoke, as were her fists. The bed she laid upon began to shake slightly. The man's eyebrows raised, he rarely saw anyone else's anger manifest itself that violently.

"I think the cuffs are more of a precaution than anything else. A safety net."

"They will need far more than this to hold me."

"Yes...but you don't have to let them know that, do you?" She looked at him, her face still twisted into a determined and angry look, but behind the anger he could see that she was listening. "They can't be sure about you, they don't quite know whether to trust you or not. So if you have nothing to hide, and as long as they aren't hurting you, why not let them have their little shackles and chains. It comforts them to think they're in control."

She suddenly realized she'd been looking deeply into the man's eyes, listening to the calm and kind timbre of his voice, and that her guard had gone down a bit. She quickly put it back up, and her scowl back on, although now it was much less menacing and only half-hearted.

"You say 'they' as though you are not one of them."

To her surprise the man laughed aloud. She frowned a bit as he spoke.

"I'm not one of them. I'm someone they need to contain if at all possible...just like you."

Their eyes met again, and Sigyn almost returned the smile the man gave her. She instead looked again around the mostly silver room she was in.

"Is this a healing room?"

"Is that what they call hospitals on Asgard?"

Her eyes widened again in surprise. She defiantly snatched her hand away from the grasp of the man, pushing him a little as she did so. He was amused; people around there were usually far more careful about making physical contact with him.

"How dare you think to touch me, Sir? If you know where I am from, then you should also know my place there and in this realm, and therefore you should remember yours."

He raised an eyebrow at her, then realized that she was indeed serious and bowed his head a little.

"I only want to check your pulse...Your Goddesship."

Though he smirked, Sigyn knew he did not mean to mock her, and so freely gave him her hand. As he pressed his fingers firmly into her wrist she spoke.

"You know who I am, now who are you."

"I'm Bruce Banner."

He waited for the name to sink in, for her to realize who and what he was and to recoil again, this time out of fear. She did not.

"Are you a healer, then?"

"Not by any stretch of the imagination," he said, suppressing a laugh at the astonished look on her face as she heard his words. "But I am a doctor and so they seem to think that qualifies me to do this sort of thing."

She looked around the room as he released her wrist, her eyes landed on the machines that blinked a steady v shaped pattern and beeped loudly.

"What does it mean?"

"It monitors the heart rate. Sort of like what I just did to your wrist."

"Oh. Why are there two of them?"

He had not quite recovered from the shock of the question when the imposing figure of Maria Hill entered the room.

"She's awake, but is she stable Dr. Banner?"

"She's as clearheaded and even tempered as I am."

He winked at Sigyn, who gave him a small smile.

"And is that a good or bad thing, Dr. Banner."

Replied Hill in a thoroughly un-amused tone.

"That, I think, depends on how you handle things."

He walked quietly out of the room, and immediately the ease Sigyn had begun to feel disappeared. Her eyes met Hill's icy stare, and she tried desperately to remember the advice of Dr. Banner: to let them have their precautions if it made them feel safe, as long as they did not harm her.

"Well, Phenom, it's good to see that your alive."

"Just barely."

"Well, this is a prime example of why we must be careful who we marry."

"You cannot honestly believe I had anything to do with Loki's invasion."

"Maybe maybe not; it is one hell of a coincidence though. And it's not like you've been exactly forthcoming in your time here."

"You knew I had secrets, you didn't care as long as you thought you could use me."

"I wanted to train you! To have you live up to your potential."

The usually levelheaded agent showed the slightest emotion as she raised her voice, her frustration evident in the way she spoke. She quickly regained her composure, glaring down at Sigyn as she responded.

"That's right. You wanted me. I didn't come to SHIELD, you came to me. I joined only after much convincing and with great trepidation, and only because I wanted to learn to protect myself from being victimized again. So tell me how exactly that would fit in with me helping Loki dominate your world."

"You could destroy us from the inside out. Your words are stirring, but not at all enough to sway me."

"Honestly, I could give a rat's ass about swaying you, Agent Hill."

"Such language from a goddess?"

"I have not lived as or among goddesses in quite some time." She shook the shackles a little. "But really, is this necessary?"

Hill scowled and spoke in even colder tones.

"When you happen to be the wife of an intergalactic terrorist who also happens to be the greatest threat this world has ever known...absolutely."

"Only on Earth. Loki would not be such a bother anywhere else."

"Well this happens to be the planet I occupy, and the only one I have any jurisdiction over and therefore, he's sort of a big deal here."

She smirked in an unfriendly way in Sigyn's direction. Sigyn could not respond, the pain in her side had suddenly become sharp and unbearable. She doubled over in pain and in spite of herself Hill moved to her side, just as two shield agents came in to check on her. A weakened Sigyn made a feeble attempt to resist the needle that went into her arm. It was a moment or two before the room began to go black, still she heard Hill's instructions clearly.

"Stabilize her, then take her in for interrogation. Apparently Romanoff has arrived."

* * *

Steve followed a still nervous Agent Coulson down the corridors of the helicarrier. As they passed rooms, glass walls and long bright hallways he scanned everything in sight for any sign of Sigyn.

"Are you sure you don't know where they've taken her?"

"No. Apparently she came to while you and the others were in the woods, now she's being questioned."

"Questioned? About what?"

"Her involvement with Loki and his quest for world domination."

Steve stopped in his tracks, Coulson did not notice and walked a few paces ahead. Steve caught his arm and stopped him.

"What exactly does questioned mean?"

"Well, I expect it means what you think it means, its one thing that hasn't changed since your day."

"Will she be tortured?"  
"Oh no, of course not. At the most she'll be imprisoned, just like Loki."

Coulson glanced nervously at the arm where Steve held him. Steve quickly remembered himself and let him go. He stepped back from the man and apologized.

"I'm sorry…she's a go od friend of mine, that's all."

"I know. I understand." Coulson looked with compassion upon the heroic individual who stood before him, so much older than him and yet somehow so juvenile and helpless in that moment; just a young man worried about a girl. "Listen," he said, stepping closer and leaning in towards a rather startled Steve, "no one knows this, but I'm on my way down to watch the interrogation with Fury and Hill, you're welcome to come with."

"What about my evaluation?"  
"There are ways around that sort of thing..." They started down the hall again as Coulson continued. "Remember those trading cards I spoke to you about before…"

* * *

Two guards walked a groggy Sigyn into another bright lit white room, one wall made completely of glass and no furniture in it except for a silver table and two matching chairs on either side of it. She looked through the glass as the men pushed her into one of the chairs, but it was useless, her vision was blurry and she could not at all make out who stood watching her.

She placed her arms, handcuffed together, on the table and rested her face in her hands. Her mind was moving slowly. Her thoughts came only with much effort and still her side pained her to no end. They were keeping her weak and in pain for a reason; until they knew her motives they did not want her at full strength.

The door to the room opened and closed silently, the sound of footsteps replaced the silence, and Sigyn's head remained in her hands as the person sat across the table from her. She did not need to look up to know who it was.

"Nice to finally meet you, Agent Romanoff."

She said, her voice hoarse and heavy with the drugs coursing through her body.

"You likewise." She said in her unreadable tone, although she looked slightly concerned to find the Phenomenon in this condition. "Is your mind clear, Agent O'Donnell?"

"No. But by all means, don't let that stop you."

The Black Widow smiled a bit in spite of herself and narrowed her eyes across the table.

"Well then, tell me what you've been doing the past few days, your goddesship."

"I already told you. I tried to tell you, didn't I?"

Natasha's eyes softened at the confused tone of her colleague, who she could immediately read as soon as she laid eyes upon her. She knew this woman was no threat to anyone except maybe Loki, but still she had a job to complete.

"Yes you did. What you did not say was your involvement in the plan."

"I knew nothing. When he stepped through that portal, I was astonished. I thought I had wished him there."

"The depth of your_ love_ is well documented."

"You say it with such repugnance."

"Quite frankly I find love inconvenient, transient, unstable, immature, and weakening."

"Love is all of that and none of it. It is variable, different for every person it touches I suppose. But I suppose in the end in our case it was more of a burden than anything else." She lifted her head and met the Widow's eyes. "I spent my time since his arrival trying to dissuade him from his cause, and then I saw how futile that was…"

"Go on."

"I tried to stop him, but Barton was there, and Selvig and many other innocents, and I could not do what needed to be done without harming them."

She noticed the flash of concern at the mention of Barton's name in Romanoff's eyes and immediately recognized it. It was the exact same one others noticed in her, long ago in Asgard, when she and Loki were young and friends and someone would harm or hurt him, before she ever realized that she loved him at all. Sigyn sat up straighter in her chair, her head a bit less heavy and her vision greatly improved.

"Why did you conceal your true identity, Mrs. Laufeyson?"

Natasha said, turning her demeanor to ice after her unintentional moment of vulnerability. Sigyn scowled.

"That is not my name, and it never was."

"Neither was O'Donnell."

"And have you never assumed another identity?"

"I certainly have. But I own up to them when exposed."

"So do I; the ones that belong to me. I was never a Laufeyson, and I never will be."

The women's eyes bored into one another's and a silence hung in the air; both of their faces were carved in stone, not a crack of emotion showed in either. Sigyn could feel her strength returning as the effects of the drugs ebbed away.

"By all accounts you are a devoted wife, The Goddess of Fidelity, how do you expect us to believe that he acts with no help from you."

"The man who seeks to rule your planet is not the man I married and therefore not the man I loved. I knew a man with a soul and a conscience, a man who vowed to protect this realm and many others and took that vow more seriously even than the ones he made to me." She broke their gaze and looked away. "I loved him, then I lost him, and now he has seemingly reappeared, but I no longer see in him the man I loved."

She returned her gaze to the agent before her.

"You speak so beautifully, its almost like poetry."

"I speak the truth; it is no wonder that it seems foreign to you."

"Well, Your Goddesship," said Romanoff, standing to leave. "It was a pleasure speaking with you."

As Romanoff entered the room where Fury, Hill, and Coulson stood she was surprised to find Steve Rogers there as well. The emotion never registered on her face.

"I have my opinion of her, but from a professional standpoint I cannot be sure if she lies or not, and therefore I tend to believe that she does."

"She isn't a liar, and pardon me, Maam, but it seems that you're just mad that you couldn't get Sigyn to break."

"Shut your mouth, Captain, you shouldn't even be in here."

"Hill, that's a war hero your speaking to!"

"With all due respect, Captain, you have no idea of the ways of interrogation, and certainly have no room to critique my performance"

"Still, he is right. You threw her nothing but soft questions; she spoke more than you did."

"Agent Hill, I know you love the sound of your own voice, however when conducting an interrogation-"

"ENOUGH." Said Fury in a tone that was not at all raised, but still final and imposing. All other speaking in the room ceased. He slowly looked into the faces of each of his agents and Steve. He spoke again only after giving them a chance to reflect on their childish behavior. "In the end the only opinion that holds any weight on this aircraft is mine…remember that."

"What do you intend to do with her?"

Steve asked, stepping face to face with Fury.

"Whatever I deem the safest option for the time being."

Steve looked past Fury through the glass and into the room behind it, where guards yanked Sigyn from her chair and practically dragged her out of the room. She stumbled a bit and struggled to keep up with their pace on her wobbly legs. His eyes narrowed and refocused on Fury.

"If I may speak candidly: this is bullshit Sir. She would have killed Loki in Germany if Stark hadn't shown up; she's the reason we have him now and she almost died in the process of subduing him. Does that sound like she was in cahoots with him?" He looked around the room, the only person in it who meet his eyes was Fury. "I understand your position. This is your ship, and your operation, and I fully respect that, but Sigyn is the most valuable thing on it as far as I'm concerned and she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. I doubt I'll be able to sit idly by while you treat her like a prisoner. "

He noticed a small nod from Fury and walked out of the room, knowing his words had hit their mark.

* * *

It was apparent as soon as the guards returned to retrieve her that Sigyn had not done well in her interrogation. She was marched down the corridors in as unceremonious a fashion as ever, and placed into her old room, its bed and bathroom still as tiny and cell like as ever. The guards remained outside her door, but she did not care. She immediately stripped herself of the white shirt like gown she'd been in and stood naked in the room, taking a deep breath before holding her hand and expending what little strength she had regained to heal the deep gash at her side. She did enough to relieve her pain, and then removed her bandages, revealing a hideous scar at her side, she held her hand over the wound again, but it healed no further, she was too exhausted to do anymore. .

In the tiny bathroom was a tiny shower, and the hot water against her skin was a relief. She dried off and came out in her towel. As she dried her hair she heard voices in the hall.

"Fury said no one in or out, Sir."

"I'm sure that doesn't include me."

"Even you, Captain."

"Boys, I don't mean to sound rude, but if you don't open this door, I will. Now we can do this a few ways, but only one ends well for you."

Sigyn looked with great curiosity as the scanner lock buzzed and the door slid open. She pulled her towel tighter around herself as Steve entered and the door slid closed behind him. His eyes landed on her for the first time. He stepped back towards the door and placed a hand to his forehead as he shut his eyes tightly.

"Holy Moses! I'm sorry, I mean, I had no idea, I should have knocked…I really didn't know, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

She stood awkwardly across the room, and he looked up, his expression mortified. Sigyn smiled the first genuinely happy smile she had in what felt like ages. She resisted the urge to run across the room and into his arms.

"I came to check on you, and to thank you; I think you saved my life back there."

"No, of course not…I think you saved me , actually." He blushed and looked shyly down at the floor as he noticed his eyes begin to wander. Sigyn took the opportunity to take in him in the suit; she had never seen him outside of his plain clothes uniform of a t-shirt and khakis. "You look beautiful, Steve."

She smiled sweetly as he looked at her, his eyes locked directly on hers. The bashful blush at the compliment quickly faded into a scowl.

"I need to speak to you, but it can wait until you get dressed." Sigyn raised her eyebrows at his sudden change in mood but grabbed her clothes from the drawer, and headed into the bathroom to change. She emerged a few minutes later to find Steve in the same spot he'd been in, still and silent as she sat upon the bed. "Just what the hell happened to you Doll? You just up and disappear on me without a word. I was worried sick you know, it was a pretty lousy thing to do."

"I tried to call and text you every day. When I didn't hear from you I asked Fury to get word to you."

"How would Fury have known?"

"Steve, I've been with SHIELD the whole time."

"You weren't with Loki?"

"No! No, the Chitauri took Loki in the middle of the night one night and somehow Agent Barton came to my apartment with Maria Hill and I was desperate to find him and train to protect myself, SHIELD seemed like the only viable option." She wrung her still gloved hands together and looked at him. "I was afraid; now I know I should have come to you instead of them. You can't trust them Steve. You were right all along."

"I'm not so sure that I was. They seem hell bent on keeping the world safe as far as I can tell. But I don't like them keeping you cooped up like this."

"I'm fine…but you should be careful."

"Make up your mind Doll, do you want me to live my life or do you want me to stay paranoid?"

She grinned at his teasing her, and shrugged.

"Maybe a little of both."

"You could have told me everything, you know."

"I wanted to. Would you have believed me?"

"I think so." They stood in awkward silence for a moment, as Steve suddenly forgot all the questions he'd had for Sigyn, and tried not to feel giddy at the fact that she hadn't been off 'fondueing' with the enemy the entire time she'd been gone. She was still the girl across the hall, the honest and beautiful doll, pushy as all hell. His eyes suddenly became intense and bored into her like two blue lasers. "I came in here to tell you off."

"I think you realized that I don't really deserve it."

"The hell you don't Doll, you lied to me about a few things."

"I didn't lie. I withheld."

"Don't give me that spy talk. I want to know what for. All of it."

"Ask me anything, and I'll tell you everything."

He sat on the bed next to her, a little surprised at her quick relent. Now that all the answers were before him he didn't know what to ask. He pondered the questions, his eyes lingering on the gloves she still wore.

"What are those for?"

"Loki did that. He didn't want me to touch him or anything else really. He's under the control of the tesseract, and I seem to make it...unstable."

Steve looked into her eyes with a worried expression and spoke in a deeply serious tone.

"Do not tell anyone else what you just told me. Understand?"

She nodded her head, although she was deeply confused, and just as she prepared to ask him why, the door to her room slid open. Their eyes fell upon the figure of Nick Fury himself, who looked at Sigyn with a nonchalant smile.

"Phenom and Captain America. The Goddess and The Superhuman. It sounds like a beloved myth of some lost civilization." He paced the floor before them and stopped abruptly, looking directly at Sigyn. "There are those upon this ship who believe you to be an accomplice to Loki's crimes."

"What do you believe?"

She asked, her gaze unwavering from his face.

"I believe if that were the case he'd have the world in his possession this very instant and there wouldn't be a damn thing we could do about it." He said as a sly smile spread slowly across his face. "You have more than proven yourself trustworthy, Phenom. Now if you don't mind, there are somethings I would like to discuss with you and the others at the round table. Time is of the essence."


End file.
